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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25936384">Penalties</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rominarow/pseuds/rominarow'>rominarow</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:46:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>135,572</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25936384</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rominarow/pseuds/rominarow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>AU where Ron and Hermione are flatmates. No magic.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  Also i want to thank Kathy for being an amazing beta and help me with my horrible grammar. </strong>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/><p>Ron is 25-years old and he plays football for Millwall. After 5 years, he is still the second goalkeeper of the team. He is always on the bench waiting for his chance. His biggest dream is to play someday for his favorite team, the Arsenal. He knows that the chances are quite slim, but he refuses to give up his dream.</p><p>He is not like Hermione. She is a lawyer. When she was younger, her biggest dream was to change the world. She always fought for animal rights. She thought that the best way to defeat the system was from the inside. Now, she's just another part of the system and she has no desire to change it.</p><p>Now, how could a lawyer and a football player end up as flatmates?</p><p>
  <span>Flashback</span>
</p><p>
  <em>5 years ago</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ron was heading home driving his new car. It was a Mini Cooper, Ron's dream car. Ron never had been fascinated by sports cars or SUVs. No, for Ron, a Mini Cooper was the best car in the world. Maybe his love for this car was because he was too tall, and driving it was like an adventure.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Last week, he signed his first professional contract with Millwall. His parents were always trying to make him resign from being a professional footballer and go and work with his brothers in the family business, but Ron was never interested in selling fireworks.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Even though his parents were always against his decision to continue playing football, they never stopped coming to his games. Until now, he was playing with the reserves, but now they promoted him to a second goalkeeper. With the money he got from signing the contract, Ron bought the car. He couldn't wait to show it to his family.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>With an occupied mind, he didn't see that the traffic light was red.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Five hours later, Ronald Weasley opened his eyes. Βlinding lights went straight to his face and he had to close them again.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Hello, Mr Weasley. Can you hear me?" a guy with white clothes, holding a small flashlight, asked. Ron realized that the guy was a doctor, and he wasn't in his own bed, but a hospital one.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ron nodded his head. "Good. I'm Dr. Wilson. You were in a car accident. You remember that?" he asked and Ron nodded again.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You have a concussion, but other than that you're fine," he said and Ron sighed in relief. The last thing he wanted was to jeopardize his career. "We are going to keep you here for the next 48 hours to run some tests and be completely sure you're fine, and then you'll be discharged," the doctor said and turned to leave.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Wait a minute, doctor," Ron said. "What happened to the people in the other car?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"There was just a young woman in the other car. She has a broken rib, but she's fine. She's right in the next room if you want to see her. I'll come back in a few hours. I'm sure you want to see your family. They have been outside waiting for you to wake up. I'll bring them in," he said and he walked out of the room.</em>
</p><p><em>Ron couldn't believe it. He almost killed a woman because of his stupidity. He knew that he had to see her and make sure she was alright. He tried to get up from his bed, but he was very weak. </em>Maybe later<em>, he thought.</em></p><p>
  <em>Soon his room was full of people. His parents, his twin brothers Fred and George, his sister Ginny with her boyfriend and his best friend, Harry, and Bill with his wife, Fleur.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>After an hour of hugging and talking and mostly yelling from Molly, everybody left so he could get some rest, but Ron couldn't rest or sleep. His mind was on the next room. He gathered all his strength and he climbed out of the bed. He walked out of his room and he went outside to the room where his victim was staying.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He watched from outside and saw a beautiful brunette lying down on the bed reading a magazine. He decided to introduce himself. He was already prepared for insults, curses, and of course, a lawsuit.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He walked in and he saw the girl smiling at him. "Hello. My name is Ronald Weasley and I'm the idiot who crashed his car into yours," he said looking down embarrassed with himself.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Hello, Ronald Weasley. My name is Hermione Granger. Nice to meet you," she said stretching her hand for Ron to shake.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ron shook her hand, but he was confused. "Nice to meet you? Did you hear what I just said? I almost killed you," he said.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"That's not a reason for me to be impolite though," she said with a wide smile.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Oh boy, you must be suffering from a concussion. The doctor only said a broken rib, but I think …"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You are funny," she said with a little laugh. "It's okay. Yes, you are stupid and you almost killed me, but you didn't. I'm fine and that's all that matters," she added smiling.</em>
</p><p>Mental<em>, he thought. He looked at her stomach and he saw the bandages. "Are you in pain?" he asked.</em></p><p>
  <em>"A little. How about you?" she asked back.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ron smiled. Despite her condition and the fact that she knew he was the cause of her physical pain, she was polite enough to ask him about his health. "I'm fine, just a minor concussion."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Do you want to sit?" she asked him showing him a chair by her bed.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Sure," he said.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hermione smiled and so did Ron.</em>
</p><p>
  <span>End flashback</span>
</p><p>They spent the night talking and joking. They both felt very comfortable with each other and they decided to stay friends. In the next two months, they spent a lot of their free time together and learned everything about each other. Ron learned about Hermione's dream to be a famous lawyer and Hermione learned about Ron's dream to play one day for the Arsenal.</p><p>Two months later, Ron decided to move from his parents' house and live on his own. Hermione told him how jealous she was of him, because she couldn't afford to leave her parents and live alone. It was then that Ron asked her if she wanted to move in together.</p><p>Hermione wasn't so sure at first. Of course, Ron was her friend, but he was a guy. What would her parents say? In the end, she decided that living with Ron wouldn't be such a bad idea. He already held a soft spot in her heart and that was unique. Hermione was a very lonely person and she never allowed others to get into her world.</p><p>So here we are. It is five years later, and Ron and Hermione are still living together. As best friends.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. You promised</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>It's the last minute of the Champions League final and the Arsenal is still in the lead with a score of 1-0. Barcelona has the ball in what likely will be their last attempt to equalize. Pavi gives the ball to Iriesta, Iriesta gives it back to Pavi who is ready for a cross, and it's a penalty! Lionel Lessi is down and the referee gives a penalty shot to Barcelona! What a dramatic finish!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Arsenal players are angry with the referee's decision, but the replay shows clearly that Bacary Cagna tackled the leg of Lionel Lessi who is now ready to take the kick.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It's very interesting to see if Ronald Weasley can handle the pressure. He has played brilliantly so far, but now it's time to see what he's really made of. If he saves the penalty kick, the Arsenal will win the Champions League for the first time in their history.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The referee whistles and Lessi kicks. He saved it! Ronald Weasley saved the penalty kick and the referee blows his whistle to signal the end of the game. It's over! The Arsenal has just won the Champions League thanks to a great performance by the one and only Ronald Weasley. What a fantastic goalkeeper!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Listen to how everybody in the stadium is screaming his name "Ron! Ron! Ron!"</em>
</p><p>"Ron! Ron, wake up!" Hermione yelled at him shaking his shoulders.</p><p>Ron woke up and he realized that once again it was just a dream. He looked at Hermione and he cursed under his breath.</p><p>"Come on, Ron! Get up! We are going to be late," she said leaving the room and hurrying to the kitchen.</p><p>Ron got up and went to the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror. <em>One day, it won't be a dream, </em>he said to himself.</p><p>After a quick shower and shave, he got dressed and went to the kitchen to eat breakfast.</p><p>"Good morning, beautiful," he said to Hermione, kissing the top of her head.</p><p>"Good morning, handsome," she replied smiling. "We have ten minutes, so eat your breakfast quickly."</p><p>Ron loved having Hermione as a roommate. She not only was his best friend and roommate for the last five years, but also was a great cook. Breakfast was very important for his job and Hermione knew it. Every day, she made a delicious breakfast without ever complaining or asking Ron to prepare it himself. Ron cared about her more than anything. </p><p>"I hate you, you know," he said suddenly causing Hermione to give him a confused look.</p><p>"Well, too bad, because I love you," she said blowing him a kiss.</p><p>"I love you, too, but I hate you. I was having a great dream and you ruined it."</p><p>"Don't tell me you were dreaming again that you were playing for England and you won the World Cup," she said teasing him.</p><p>"No, I wasn't dreaming that, you know-it-all!" he snapped and Hermione raised her eyebrows.</p><p>"If you must know, I was the Arsenal's goalkeeper and I won the Champions League," he said drinking some orange juice.</p><p>Hermione started laughing. She loved Ron, not only because he was her best friend and flatmate for the last five years, but also because he always made her laugh. She loved how Ron had this big dream and he was trying to make it come true. She admired him for that actually.</p><p>"So why such a rush, Hermione?" he asked her.</p><p>"Ron, we talked about this. Her flight lands at 11 am. Right now, it's 8.15. We must leave at 8:30 sharp. We need two hours to get to the airport and then we'll have 30 minutes to find her gate. That's the plan," she said frustrated, not by Ron, but by the situation.</p><p>She honestly had no desire to see her mother. Don't get her wrong. She missed her mother, but she knew that the reason for her visit wasn't just to see how she was doing. She was coming to see how she and her "boyfriend" Ron were doing.</p><p>"Hermione, your plan is killing me. Do you have any idea how tired I am? Coach kept us yesterday for a night practice. My whole body is aching. Why can't she take a taxi?" he asked her.</p><p>"Ron, she is my mother, and you promised," she said seriously. "I'll promise to give you a massage when we come back," she added trying to convince him.</p><p>"You promise?" he asked hopefully and she nodded. "I'll go get dressed then," he said and left the kitchen.</p><p>Hermione watched him go and she had a grin on her face.</p><p>Two hours later, they were in Heathrow airport, waiting for Hermione's mother. Hermione was tapping her foot nervously and she started playing with the zipper of her jacket.</p><p>Ron noticed that and knew what it meant. Hermione was scared and nervous.</p><p>"Hermione, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly.</p><p>"Nothing. It's just…" she stopped.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Do you know what is going to happen on the ride back, Ron? Cause I know. My mother will ask me how things are. I'll tell her things are great. Then she'll ask me how things are between us. I'll tell her we are very happy and in love, and then she'll ask if we are planning to get married. I'll tell her that we are still very young to do that and then she'll start talking about how she and dad or your parents got married before their twenties. I'll say that we are not like them and then she'll start muttering under her breath. I'll get angry and then-"</p><p>Ron interrupted her. "Hermione, breathe! Everything will be alright," he said smiling at her.</p><p>She looked at him and then she hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry," she whispered.</p><p>"What are you sorry about?" he asked confused.</p><p>"For making you come with me today, or for dragging you into this mess. You didn't have to, but I'm so grateful you agreed. I can't believe I found such a great friend like you. Thank you, Ron," she said looking at the floor embarrassed, but still hugging him.</p><p>Ron put his hand on her chin and he lifted her face so she could see him. "What are friends for?" he said kissing her forehead and never breaking the hug. To an outsider, they seemed like a beautiful couple in love. But they were only friends…</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Sleeping together</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was dinnertime and there was a silent tension between Ron and Hermione's mother. During the ride back, she did exactly what Hermione predicted. Ron felt anger grow inside him, seeing how upset Hermione was. He kept his mouth shut though, because he knew that it was only for one day.</p><p>Emma Granger had the annoying habit of visiting Hermione once a month and staying at their house. She and her husband Walter, Hermione's father, had moved to Manchester three years ago and Hermione visited them twice a month, but apparently it wasn't enough for her.</p><p>What made Ron more upset was that Hermione was so afraid of her mother, that a couple of years ago she begged him to pretend to be her boyfriend. She couldn't stand any more of her mother's snide remarks about her being single and living in the same house with another man.</p><p>Hermione was perfect in Ron's eyes. Kind, beautiful, funny, intelligent, and successful at her job and she always treated others with respect and love. However, it wasn't enough for her mother. For her mom, the image was incomplete without a man by her side.</p><p>When Hermione told her mother about their new relationship status, she appeared happy for her daughter. She stopped bugging Hermione with potential grooms and she seemed to accept them as a couple.</p><p>Of course, Ron, never felt any love from his "mother-in-law." Ron knew that she didn't like him, because she believed that her daughter could find a better suitor than a football player. Ron suspected that the only reason she had accepted her daughter's relationship with him, was that she wanted to have grandchildren soon and that his family was very well off.</p><p>"So, Ron, how is work? Have you managed to play this year?" Mrs. Granger asked in a slightly mocking tone.</p><p>"Not yet, Mrs. Granger," Ron answered drinking some wine. Alcohol was his best friend when Hermione's mother visited them. He didn't have practice tomorrow, so a few drinks today wouldn't be a problem.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Ron. I hope you'll have your chance soon," she said giving him a fake smile.</p><p>"He will," Hermione said reaching out for Ron's hand and squeezing it.</p><p>"Five years and he's still on the bench, but if you say so," Emma muttered under her breath.</p><p>"Did you say something, Mother?" Hermione asked angrily after hearing what her mother said.</p><p>"I just said how lovely you two look together," Emma lied.</p><p>Hermione forced a smile and then she turned to Ron. She bent slightly and she kissed him on his cheek. They never kissed on the mouth. Little acts of affection like a smile, a kiss on the cheek, a hug, or just walking holding hands were enough to convince everyone in her family about the nature of their relationship.</p><p>"Please ignore her. She'll go to sleep soon," she whispered in Ron's ear.</p><p>Ron smiled despite his rising anger. Although he really liked Walter and from what Ron could tell, he liked him too, Emma was insufferable and Ron wondered how he could stand her.</p><p>Mrs. Granger spoke again. "You know, Hermione, your cousin Sarah is getting married. My sister told me yesterday. The wedding is in seven weeks and you're invited with your fiancé, of course. I have the invitation in my bag. Remind me to give it to you later," she said, but both Ron and Hermione noticed once again a mocking tone in her voice, when she said the word "fiancé".</p><p>"Good for Sarah. I hope she's happy," Hermione said truthfully, even though she knew that her mother wanted more.</p><p>Ron sighed, because he knew very well what was coming.</p><p>"Yes, I hope so too. Brian is a great guy. He owns a gallery. He's very successful at his job," she said and her words were aimed clearly at Ron.</p><p>Hermione turned to say something that she knew would cause a fight, but she felt Ron's hand on hers and she stopped. She looked at Ron and she knew that he was thinking the same thing. "It's okay," he muttered.</p><p>Hermione relaxed a bit, but she was still angry with her mother. Yes, Ron wasn't rich or very successful at his job like his brothers, but he was kind, funny, and, not to mention, devilishly handsome and he was always there to support her every decision. Ron wasn't her real boyfriend, but if he was, her mother should have been proud and happy that she found a man like him.</p><p>Dinner ended soon and Mrs. Granger went to sleep in Hermione's room. When she stayed at the house, Hermione and Ron slept together in Ron's room.</p><p>Hermione washed the dishes and Ron turned on the TV to watch the second half of the Chelsea-Wigan match. After she finished, she told Ron to go take a shower and she'd wait for him in his room to give him the massage she promised him.</p><p>After the game ended, Ron went for a quick shower and he hurried to his room. He couldn't wait for Hermione to massage him. His back and his neck were killing him, but when he entered his room, he found Hermione asleep.</p><p><em>Great</em>, he thought. He lay down on the right side of his bed trying to sleep when he felt Hermione's hand wrap around his waist. He looked at her sleeping face and he smiled. He caressed her hair and he kissed her forehead. "Sweet dreams, beautiful. You owe me a massage," he whispered and drifted off to sleep, never removing Hermione's hand from his waist.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Mothers in charge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione woke up first the next morning. She noticed how her body was totally entwined with Ron's. She blushed thinking how intimate that could look and she carefully removed her body from Ron's trying not to wake him up. Ron startled a little but he continued his sleep. Hermione watched his sleeping figure and smiled.</p><p>She went to the bathroom for a quick shower and then she was going to make breakfast for Ron and her mother.</p><p>What she didn't know was that her mother was already awake, drinking coffee in the living room, and entertaining a guest.</p><p>After finishing her shower, she went back to Ron's room to pick out some clothes. She always kept some in Ron's closet, in case her mother was in town. She decided to wear tracksuit trousers and one of Ron's jumpers. She loved wearing Ron's shirts and jumpers. It made her feel very comfortable.</p><p>Walking to her room, she saw that the bed was empty and she knew that her mother was awake. Then she heard some voices coming from the living room. She went there and saw her mother talking with another woman. She knew that woman. <em>Oh My God</em>, she thought.</p><p>"Hermione, you are awake. Come say hello to Ron's mother," Mrs. Granger said.</p><p>Hermione was frozen. Molly Weasley had no idea about her son's "relationship" with Hermione. She walked to her very slowly and nervously.</p><p>Molly decided to take matters into her own hands and she walked to Hermione, hugging her tightly. "Hermione, dear, it's been so long since the last time I saw you. How are you, my child? Come and sit," she said.</p><p>Hermione sat on the couch not able yet to produce any sound.</p><p>"Hermione, can you explain to me why Molly didn't know about you and Ron? When I called her to meet me here today to get to know each other, she had no idea what I was talking about."</p><p>Hermione was blushing hard. For Mrs. Weasley now, she was her son's girlfriend and they hadn't informed her.</p><p>"It's alright, Emma. My son always had the habit of doing things without asking permission or without informing anyone. But, Hermione, I'm a little disappointed! You and my son are together for two whole years, and you two never thought about telling us?"</p><p>
  <em>I need Ron. I need Ron. I need Ron.</em>
</p><p>"Excuse me a moment. I'll be right back," Hermione said and she hurried to Ron's room. She opened the door quickly and walked to the bed. She shook Ron's shoulders very hard to make him wake up. "Ron! Ron, wake up! Your mother is here," she said and Ron's eyes open widely.</p><p>"What did you say?" he asked hoping that he heard her wrong.</p><p>"Your mother is in the living room talking with my mother. She came to see your fiancée," she cried.</p><p>"My fiancée? I don't have a fiancée. What are you talking about?" Ron asked confused.</p><p>"I mean me, Ron!"</p><p>"What?" Ron asked but realized immediately what Hermione was talking about. <em>Oh God, tell me this isn't happening</em>, he thought.</p><p>"Exactly! Apparently, my mother called yours and she told her about you and me. Now they are in the living talking and laughing and who knows what else. Knowing my mother, they could be planning our wedding as we speak," Hermione cried.</p><p>"Hermione, it's okay. I get the picture," Ron said sighing loudly.</p><p>"Ron, what are we going to do?" Hermione asked sitting next to him in bed.</p><p>Ron put an arm around Hermione's waist and he pulled her close to him. He thought about their alternatives for a moment. They could go outside and end this fiasco. That would probably lead to an ashamed Hermione, an angry Emma, and a confused Molly.</p><p>On the other hand, they could pretend to be the happy couple for his family too. <em>That wouldn't be too bad</em>, he thought. <em>At least Mum would stop telling me to resign from football and take life seriously. Yeah, a serious relationship with a nice girl like Hermione would prove to her that I'm on the right path</em>. <em>Then she'll stop trying to hook me up every once in a while with random girls.</em></p><p>"We are going to pretend to be the happy couple for my family too," Ron answered.</p><p>"Are you sure, Ron? I mean, I know you're doing this for me and thank you for that, but what about you? Don't you have a problem lying to your family that you have a serious relationship when you don't?" she asked nervously.</p><p>"Listen, Hermione. I don't like lying to my family, but I have to. Besides, this may turn out to be a good thing for me."</p><p>"What do you mean?"</p><p>"You know how you were always telling me that your mother was trying to set you up with some rich guys?" he asked and she nodded. "Well, my mother used to do that with me too."</p><p>"Oh, I didn't know that," she said biting her lip. She didn't know why, but every time Ron met a girl, even a friend, she felt oddly uneasy. She was always afraid that someday Ron would leave her to marry some blonde chick and she would be alone again. She hated being alone. She was an extremely closed-off person, and Ron was the only one who knew her and who she felt comfortable with. She needed him in her life.</p><p>"Yeah, she's always trying to hook me up with one of their clients' daughters. Luckily, I can still use work as an excuse of not getting in a serious relationship, but I'm not sure for how long I can still use it," Ron said.</p><p>"Why did you never tell me about that? I told you about my mother," she said, slightly hurt that Ron was keeping secrets from her.</p><p>"I don't know, Hermione. I'm a bloke. We don't talk about stuff. Not unless it is important," he answered truthfully.</p><p>"Okay, go take your shower and I'm going to put on something more feminine. I don't want your mother thinking that her son chose a tomboy for a girlfriend," she said.</p><p>"Are you trying to impress my mother?" he asked raising his eyebrow.</p><p>"Yeah, so? Fake or not, I'm your girlfriend now and I want to look pretty for my fake, future mother-in-law," she said and left the room to go to hers to change.</p><p><em>Mental</em>, Ron thought, as he walked to the bathroom.</p><p>Hermione was searching through her closet to find something nice to wear. She didn't understand why, but she wanted to look beautiful for Ron's mother. She picked a pretty yellow dress. It wasn't too long or too short, it fell just above the knee and the neckline didn't plunge more than Hermione would have liked. It was a nice and decent dress. Perfect, for the occasion. She fixed her hair using a headband and applied a little makeup.</p><p>She went to the kitchen to get some coffee and then she went to the living room. Both women turned to see her and they both put smiles on their faces.</p><p>"Oh my, Hermione, you are so beautiful," Molly said and by the tone of her voice, Hermione knew she was telling the truth.</p><p>She blushed and she gave a small smile. "Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," she said awkwardly.</p><p>"Call me Molly, dear. It's not like we are strangers. We met many times in the past and if I knew you had a serious relationship with my son, I would have made sure we would have met a lot more," she said.</p><p>"Yeah, sorry about that, Mrs. We- Molly," Hermione said embarrassed.</p><p>"Well, what's done is done. Where is Ron anyway? Is he still sleeping?"</p><p>"Not anymore," a voice came from the kitchen. Ron walked in and hugged his mother.</p><p>Molly hugged him back and she kissed him on the cheek. "Ron, why did you do this to me? Why did you hide the fact that you had a wonderful girl like Hermione in your life?" she asked him in a slightly angry tone.</p><p>"You knew about Hermione," Ron said.</p><p>"I knew you were friends and you lived together. I had no idea that you two were a couple for the last two years," she said.</p><p>Ron sat on the couch next to Hermione and they held hands. They noticed how Molly grinned while watching them as she sat back down into an armchair. Ron turned to Hermione and he leaned in. Hermione thought he was going to kiss her and she stopped breathing, but instead Ron only whispered in her ear. "Let me handle this and you just nod, okay?"</p><p>She nodded, regaining the composure she had lost a few seconds ago and Ron spoke. "I'm sorry, Mum. We were planning to tell you and the rest of the family, of course. Unfortunately, you know with me on the road every other week and Hermione always working, we don't have much free time for us. So whenever we have time, we choose to spend it together. Please try to understand," Ron lied.</p><p>"It's alright, Ron. I know what it is like to be young and in love. No time for parents and unnecessary distractions," Molly said. "But still, pretending you're just roomates when you're a couple is not something i can forgive easy."</p><p>"I'm really sorry, Molly," Hermione apologized again thinking the irony of Molly's statement.</p><p>"Well, both of you will have the chance to make it up to the whole family," she said enthusiastically.</p><p>"What do you mean, Mum?" Ron asked worrying about the answer.</p><p>"I'm happy to announce to you that I invited Hermione's parents to the traditional Weasley Week at the Burrow and Emma accepted the invitation. You and Hermione will come too and everybody will get to know about you two. It's in three weeks, honey," Molly said smiling at Hermione.</p><p>Ron was frozen and speechless. Hermione didn't really understand what exactly Weasley Week or the Burrow was, but she knew one thing. She and Ron were screwed.</p><p>"Well, now if you excuse us, Emma and I are going shopping and later we'll eat with Arthur before she goes to the airport," Molly said. "Hermione, honey, it was lovely to see you," she said hugging Hermione tightly.</p><p>"Nice to see you too, Molly," Hermione said nervously.</p><p>"Hermione, I'll come later to get my luggage," Emma said.</p><p>"Have fun, Mum."</p><p>The door closed and Hermione turned to see Ron. He was still frozen, staring at the same spot. "Ron, is everything okay?" She asked although she knew the answer.</p><p>Ron looked at Hermione and he started laughing. Hermione didn't expect that reaction, but soon she started laughing with him, and that caused Ron to laugh even harder.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. New feelings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>On Wednesday morning, Ron was in front of the mirror, preparing himself mentally for today's game. It was the first game he was going to be in the starting lineup. Blaise Zabini, the starting goalkeeper, sustained a shoulder dislocation and Coach Snape informed him that until Zabini's recovery, he was going to be the first goalkeeper.</p><p>Ron knew that this was his chance. For the next month, he would have the opportunity to show everybody that he is good at his job and deserves more than just the substitute goalkeeper.</p><p>He tried to give himself a morale boost, but he couldn't help feeling extremely nervous. His hands were all sweaty and his breathing was very fast. <em>Relax, Ron. You can do it</em>, he thought. He took a few deep breaths and went to eat breakfast.</p><p>Hermione was already in the kitchen eating her breakfast or trying to, because she was still trying to explain her dream from last night. She dreamt about the morning three days ago with their mothers, when she thought for a moment that Ron was going to kiss her. Only in her dream, he actually did, and it was wonderful. She dreamed of him kissing her with such a sweetness and passion that Molly and Emma started clapping to congratulate them. Then Ron took her in his strong arms and led her to his room where they did things very inappropriate for best friends.</p><p>She couldn't help but feel excited and even aroused with the thought. Her thoughts were interrupted when Ron entered the kitchen. She noticed immediately that something was odd with him, and she couldn't help but wonder if it was because of his mother and her announcement about the Weasley Week. She hadn't had the chance to ask Ron about that and she wondered if he regretted his decision to pretend to be the happy couple.</p><p>"Good morning, Ron. Are you alright?" she asked worriedly.</p><p>"I'm fine. I'm just a little nervous about today," he said and Hermione was confused.</p><p>"Today? What's today?"</p><p>"I'm starting the game. I'm going to play," he said and before he had the chance to grab some toast, Hermione threw herself at him.</p><p>"Oh my God, Ron! That's great!" she squeaked.</p><p>They hugged for a little bit and Ron felt better. Just the feeling of Hermione's hands wrapped around his waist was enough to calm him down.</p><p>Hermione raised her head and for a moment she and Ron locked their eyes. Then something unexpected happened. Hermione's eyes traveled a little lower to his lips. She didn't know why, but she felt a sudden urge to pull Ron down by his neck and kiss those lips.</p><p>Ron didn't notice anything, as he broke off the hug and sat down to continue his breakfast. Hermione was still on the same spot, having trouble breathing, and feeling her heart beating very fast. She was so confused at the moment.</p><p>"Will you come to see me?" she heard Ron asking.</p><p>She sat down and drank some orange juice. She was trying to take some time to regain her composure. "I'm sorry, Ron. What did you say?" she asked with a shaky voice.</p><p>"I asked if you'll come to see me."</p><p>"Oh, I'm sorry, Ron. I have a full day at work today and I can't leave. If you had told me that yesterday, I would have taken the day off, but now I can't," she said sadly.</p><p>"That's alright. It's not your fault. I should have told you yesterday when I found out," he said trying to sound cool with the situation, but deep inside he felt sad that Hermione wouldn't be there to encourage him.</p><p>"I'm really sorry, Ron," she apologized again.</p><p>"Forget it. Harry, Ginny and the twins are going to be there, so I won't be alone. You'll come to see me on Saturday though, right?" he asked hopefully.</p><p>"Saturday?"</p><p>"Zabini is injured and he's knocked-out for a month. Until then, I'll replace him. Saturday is the next game," he said with a huge grin on his face.</p><p>Hermione couldn't resist. She threw herself at him and hugged him again, as tightly as she could. She knew that this was what Ron waiting for. He always played a couple of games every season, but he never had a chance to do it in a series of games. Now he would be tested to see if he had what it takes, and she knew how nervous he probably was.</p><p>While hugging him, she couldn't help but enjoy the smell of him. She had no idea if what she smelled was shampoo, aftershave, or just his skin, but she found herself attracted to that smell. She didn't want to break the hug. She wanted to stay like this for as long as she could, but she knew she couldn't. If they stayed like this any longer, she might do something she would regret.</p><p>"You are going to be brilliant, Ron. I know you will," she whispered in his ear. "I must go now. Good luck, Ron," she said, standing on tiptoe and kissing him on the cheek. She grabbed her purse and left quickly after that, because she felt her cheeks going red and she didn't want Ron to see it.</p><p>Ron watched her leave and then he touched the spot on his face where Hermione had kissed him. He smiled a little, without knowing why. He continued with his breakfast and then he left for the game. He was extremely nervous, and he only hoped he wouldn't fuck up. He needed to be good today.</p><hr/><p>"Hermione!" a male's voice came from the door of her office. A tall, blonde guy with beautiful grey-blue eyes appeared. "What were you daydreaming about, babe? I called your name four times," he said walking in.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Draco. I just have a lot on my mind," she said and she wasn't lying. She was trying to understand why she suddenly felt attracted to her best friend. Yes, she wasn't stupid. Over the last few days that she and Ron had to pretend to be the loving couple for their mothers, she started to feel differently about Ron. It was like he was a new person to her. <em>A new, handsome, irresistible person</em>, she thought.</p><p>"Well, tell all, girl," he said too enthusiastically. "It's a guy, right?"</p><p>"Yes, it's a guy," she answered truthfully.</p><p>"I knew it! You like him?" he asked interested.</p><p>"I don't know. It's complicated," she said biting her lips.</p><p>"Is he married? Engaged? Gay?" he said with raised eyebrows.</p><p>"No, nothing like that."</p><p>"Dammit, I hoped he would be gay. I feel so alone these days," he said.</p><p>"You already have two boyfriends. You want a third one?" she asked surprised.</p><p>"Yes, but Crabbe wants to take things seriously, for which I have no desire and Goyle wants me to move in with him, which I also have no desire to do. I think I might have to break up with both of them. I need someone new," he said sounding excited and Hermione had the feeling he had already found his next victim.</p><p>"You are a man whore," she teased him.</p><p>"Thank you. Anyway, what's the deal with this guy?"</p><p>Hermione thought for a moment if Draco was the right person to give her advice about her situation but she also wanted to tell someone because it was driving her insane. So, she started telling him everything, from the day they met to the day they moved in together and how everything got complicated in the last few days.</p><p>"You understand now my problem? Until now, I've never thought of Ron like that, but now he's like gravity. I can't escape from his attraction and to be honest I'm not sure I want to. I want to feel him, touch him, and kiss him. I even dreamed about him last night. The problem is that I don't know if what I feel is love or i'm just single for too long and maybe my hormones are messing with me and I'm afraid if i make a move i'm going to make a fool of myself or ruin our friendship," she said sighing.</p><p>Hermione waited for Draco to say something, but he just kept staring at her. "This is the part where you are supposed to tell me something wise," she tried to joke.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Hermione, but I don't have a good answer. I'm going to tell you this though. First, make sure about your feelings. Then, try to see if there is a chance he feels the same way. If he does, then congratulations. If he doesn't, then at least you'll know and you'll be able to move on. If you can't be sure about his feelings, then I suggest seducing him," Draco said.</p><p>"Seduce him?" she asked raising her eyebrows.</p><p>"Yeah, seduce him. Wear sexy clothes, ask him to give you a massage and let some moans out while he's doing it to show him how much you enjoy it, watch romantic movies together - especially those where the best friends fall in love in the end-, catch him in the shower and pretend it was an "accident," let him "accidentally" catch you in the shower<em>, </em>go dancing together in a club and then rub your body on his, pretend to be bad at something and have him teach you, try to brush your boobs against him when passing him, try to eat a banana or an ice cream very slowly in front of him, licking it or sucking it very sensually, ask- "</p><p>"Ok, that's enough. I get the picture," Hermione interrupted him.</p><p>Draco rose from his seat and he headed to the door. "Follow my advice, Hermione. I tried them on all of my men with great success," he said with a wink, before leaving.</p><p>Hermione spent the next few hours thinking about Ron. She tried to convince herself that it was only hormones. She hadn't had a boyfriend for the last three years, not since her disastrous three month relationship with Viktor Krum. She was just missing the feeling of a relationship and Ron was the closest person in her life. That's probably why she felt sexually attracted to him.</p><p>But was that all she felt? Physical attraction? She thought of how she felt a tightness in her stomach every time that Ron had a date, how she loved to wear his jumpers because they smelled like him, or how much she loved when Ron fell asleep on her lap during a movie and she could caress his beautiful, soft, ginger hair. But most of all, she loved how every time she came back from work, he was there giving her a smile. A smile she knew was just for her. A smile that took away all her worries or tiredness. A smile that crept into her soul and warmed her heart.</p><p>Could all that mean that she was starting to fall in love with him? Was there any chance that Ron felt the same? Should she really take Draco's advice seriously? Could she ever seduce Ron? Did she want to?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Dumbledore's pub</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em><strong>Author's Note: </strong></em>Just a small info. Millwall's stadium called <em><strong>The Den</strong></em>.</p><hr/><p>Hermione was in her office biting her lips and tapping her fingers nervously on her desk. Her cell phone was in front of her and she prayed it wouldn't ring. Earlier she had called Ginny and asked her to call her if Ron conceded a goal. If he kept his sheet clean, Ginny wouldn't call her.</p><p>It was one hour after the game started and the phone hadn't rung. She was extremely happy and she prayed it wouldn't ring for another hour. Then, the phone rang. Oh, no!</p><p>With a heavy heart, she answered and she waited for Ginny on the other end to tell her the bad news. But, instead, it was her father on the phone. "Hey, Hermione, it's me. How are you, baby? Are you at the game? Why didn't you call to tell me that Ron was playing today?" he asked.</p><p>"Okay, dad. You asked me too many questions and unfortunately, I don't have time to answer. No, I'm not at the game. I'm at work. I'll call you later. I promise. I must hang up now; I have a meeting. I love you. Bye," she said all at once, hanging up the phone to avoid chitchat.</p><p>
  <strong>Meanwhile at <em>The Den</em>.</strong>
</p><p>Harry, Ginny, Fred and George were all in their usual seats watching the game nervously.</p><p>"How much more, Harry?" Ginny asked with anxiety.</p><p>"10 minutes, baby. See over there," he said, pointing out the big scoreboard.</p><p>"Ok, don't bite my head off," she snapped.</p><p>"Guys, relax," the twins said in unison.</p><p>There was an obvious tension and the reason was that the score was still 0-0. It was good for Ron, but not good for Millwall. They had to win. It wasn't a championship game. It was for the FA Cup. If they won, they would qualify for the quarterfinals for the first time in 13 years. Not that they were fans of the team, but they knew how great it would be for Ron's career if they won.</p><p>In the game, Newcastle was better and they missed a lot of chances. Ron had a great performance so far. Now it was 5 minutes to the end. Millwall had the ball, Longbottom made the cross and Finnigan scored with a header.</p><p>Harry and Ginny started to scream for joy, hugging each other, as did the twins. "Yeah, Finnigan! That's it! 5 more minutes! You can do it, guys!" they started shouting trying to encourage the players.</p><p>The next 5 minutes were very difficult for Millwall's defense. They managed to keep the ball away from Ron's posts, but in the last minute of the game, Newcastle won a free kick from a great position. Ron had 4 teammates forming a human wall and he took a deep breath. The referee whistled and Anderson from Newcastle kicked. There was no doubt that the ball was going in, but Ron punched the ball away, making an incredible save.</p><p>The final whistle was like music to everyone's ears. All the players of Millwall went to the centre of the pitch and they hugged each other. All of them congratulated Ron for his performance and Seamus Finnigan for the goal he scored.</p><p>In the stands, Fred and George were clapping, whistling, and screaming Ron's name. They were extremely happy for him. The tension between Harry and Ginny was gone now, and they were snogging passionately, which caused a loud snort by the twins.</p><p>Back in her office, Hermione was still anxious about the game. She didn't know what happened and she was waiting for her phone to ring. It was 2 hours after the game started and now she had no idea if no call from Ginny was a good or a bad thing.</p><p>As she was doing some paperwork to try to busy her mind, she heard her phone finally ringing. She hesitated at first, praying to hear some good news and she answered. "Hello?" she said nervously.</p><p>"Hey, girl! Leave whatever you are doing and come to Dumbledore's! We are having a party for the big win! Woo-hoo!" Ginny said enthusiastically.</p><p>"They won? That's fantastic! How was Ron?" she asked worriedly.</p><p>"He was amazing. You should have seen him, Hermione. Too bad you couldn't be here."</p><p>Hermione's feelings were now a mix of happiness for Ron and guilt for not having been there. Sure, it wasn't her fault. If Ron had told her sooner, she would have taken the day off and she would be there wearing a shirt with his name on it, chanting his name as loud as she could. But at the end of the day, it was the first big game of Ron's career and she wasn't there. "That's great. I still have a lot of work to do, but I'll try to come even for a little. Bye, Ginny," she said with a shaky voice.</p><p>"Okay, girl. See you later. Bye," Ginny said as she hung up her phone.</p><p>Hermione opened the bottom drawer of her desk and she pulled out a photo of Ron wearing his football outfit. She never understood why she had that picture with her, but now slowly everything started to make sense to her. She took the photo and she kissed it. "Well done, handsome," she whispered, as if she was talking to him.</p><p>She put the photo back in the drawer and she decided to forget Ron for a while and focus on her job. Besides, in a few hours, she would see him in the pub; and who knows what could happen? Maybe she would try one of Draco's suggestions.</p><hr/><p>"Okay, guys, listen up. You did brilliant today. It was a great win and I'm proud of you," Coach Snape said and everybody in the locker room started rooting and clapping.</p><p>"Now, on the technical part, Longbottom, how many times must I remind you, to never leave your back unprotected? Today, you almost cost us the game, because you didn't come back to help the defense, so Taker had no other solution, but to make a foul. And if it wasn't for Weasley and his acrobatics, the ball would have gone in and we would have gone into overtime. Judging by how tired you all are, we would probably have lost," he said almost angrily.</p><p>Ron knew that Coach Snape was very strict with his game plan. He didn't accept exceptions. They had to follow the plan, or else he would yell at them or have them do extra practice. Neville Longbottom was very often his target.</p><p>Neville was a good friend of Ron's and he knew that his problem was that he didn't have much stamina. He got tired very quickly, and that's why he sometimes failed to come back to play defense. Of course, in Snape's vocabulary, there is no such phrase "I can't do it"; to him, not following the game plan meant "I don't want to do it." That's why he always accused Neville of laziness.</p><p>The speech ended shortly after and Ron was ready to leave. He and some other guys would go to Dumbledore's for a drink. Before leaving, Snape asked to see him in his office. Ron wondered if he wanted to congratulate him or tell him that he sucked. He walked to his office and knocked on the door.</p><p>"Coach, you asked to see me?"</p><p>"Come in, Weasley, and close the door," he said motioning for him to sit.</p><p>"You did good today. Better than expected actually," Snape said, without caring how that might sound to Ron.</p><p>"Thank you, coach," Ron said, but he didn't know if he should be happy or not. What did he mean by <em>better than expected</em>? What was it that he expected from him? To be lousy?</p><p>"The reason I wanted to talk to you is because I don't want you to lose focus. I know that tomorrow you'll read in the newspapers good things about today's performance. Friends will congratulate you and your parents will call you to say how proud they are for you. You might even get a chance to shag. It's normal. It's happened to most of the guys after their first good game," he said and Ron was trying to understand where he was heading.</p><p>"What I need you to understand is that only my opinion counts. I don't care what everybody thinks about your abilities. If you don't show me that you deserve the position of the first goalkeeper, you'll be on the bench again. Is that clear?"</p><p>"Yes, coach," Ron answered nervously.</p><p>"Good. Now go have some fun, but remember that tomorrow afternoon we have practice. We have a game on Saturday and I want you physically and mentally prepared."</p><p>"Don't worry, coach. I won't let you down," he said trying to sound confident, but inside he was shaking.</p><p>He left soon after his meeting and went home to get changed. Truth was that he wanted to see Hermione first and share his happiness with her, but he knew she wouldn't be home until very late at night.</p><p>After a good shower, he dressed nicely and he left to meet the guys and Ginny at the pub. He knew they would probably start teasing him, but he didn't really care. He felt great!</p><p>Ten minutes later, he was outside of Dumbledore's. It was the team's hang-out. The owner, Albus Dumbledore, is the biggest fan of Millwall and the players loved him. After every win, the drinks were free and that was always a bonus.</p><p>He went in and immediately Ginny threw herself at him, followed by Harry, Fred and George. Ron noticed that the pub was full and crowded. On his way to their table, everybody congratulated him by giving him a high-five or patting him on the shoulder. It was a new feeling and Ron couldn't hide his huge grin.</p><p>He sat at the table and Harry gave him a beer. "You earned it," he said smiling.</p><p>Ron took the beer. Before he had the chance to drink, he heard Albus Dumbledore behind the counter. "Everyone, keep it down a little. I'd like to make a toast," he said and everyone kept quiet. Everybody respected him. He raised a bottle of beer and everybody in the pub followed him raising their own.</p><p>"Today our guys made us proud. Every single one of them. But, I'd like to mention a special fellow that today had his chance and he didn't let us down. To Mr. Ronald Weasley," he said and everybody followed him, chanting Ron's name.</p><p>Ron was slightly embarrassed with all the attention. He shyly picked his own beer and gave a nod to Dumbledore. Ron felt very proud of himself and he was extremely grateful that people acknowledged his performance, but something was missing and Ron knew what it was.</p><p>He went outside to call Hermione. He needed to know when she was going to come. He called her on her cell phone and after a minute Hermione answered.</p><p>"Hey, handsome. You called to brag about your performance?" she teased him.</p><p>"No, beautiful. You know I will do that at home," he joked. "Are you coming?"</p><p>"I don't think I'll make it, Ron. There is too much paperwork that I must finish tonight," she said truthfully.</p><p>"Oh, that's too bad," he said sadly. "I guess I'll see you at home. Don't sleep at your desk, alright?" he teased her.</p><p>"Have fun, Ron. I'll see you at home," she said and she hung up the phone.</p><p>Ron went back inside, but no matter how hard he tried to have a good time, he was moody. He wanted to share his first big day with Hermione, but he couldn't.</p><p>It was two hours later when he decided it was time to go home. Fred and George had left after they had a call from work. Apparently, there was some problem with an order and they had to go there to resolve the situation.</p><p>Ginny and Harry were also gone. It was, after all, very late for them. Usually at this time, they were sleeping or trying to, if James wasn't waking them up every couple of hours.</p><p>Ron spent most of the night with Neville, his wife, Hannah, Seamus Finnigan, and Seamus' manager, Dean Thomas. The night wasn't over though and Ron realized that when a gorgeous blonde entered the pub. His eyes widened when she looked back and smiled at him. She went and sat alone at the bar and Ron was debating with himself if he should go after her.</p><p>"I'm sorry, guys, but duty calls," he heard Seamus saying. He saw him go to the bar and start flirting with her.</p><p>"A tenner that he will make it," Thomas said.</p><p>"I'll take that bet," Neville said.</p><p>Ron was looking at Seamus and the girl. She was smiling politely, but it was obvious that she wasn't into Seamus. After a couple of minutes, Seamus came back with a defeated face.</p><p>"Unfortunately, she is into birds," he said and everybody laughed.</p><p>Ron decided it was his turn. He hadn't been with a woman in a long time and he needed a little affection. "Watch and learn, Irish boy," he said with confidence rising up from his chair and making his way to the bar.</p><p>He walked to the girl and he sat right next to her. "Ronald Weasley," he said simply stretching his hand for her to shake.</p><p>She turned and she saw him. Ron gave her the most seductive smile he had and she blushed.</p><p>"Lavender Brown," she said shaking Ron's hand.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. I met a girl</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione was in the kitchen preparing a delicious breakfast for Ron. Unfortunately for her, last night she couldn't go celebrate with the others in the pub. She had a huge pile of paperwork to finish and the fact that she would be taking Saturday as a day off from work to go to Ron's game, didn't make things easier.</p><p>She thought that if anything would help to make it up to him it would be food. She decided to prepare Ron's favorites: an omelet with cheese and bacon, sausages, toast, and fried bread.</p><p>When everything was ready, she went to her room to put on something nice and to make herself presentable. <em>Not that he'll notice</em>, she thought bitterly.</p><p>She wore tight jeans and a lilac, one-shoulder top. She looked at herself in the mirror and started to apply some make-up and after considering it for a long time, she decided to put on a light shade of red lipstick. She tried to tame her hair, but she knew it was a lost cause.</p><p>She walked out of her room and headed to Ron's room to wake him up. She knocked softly and without waiting for an answer, she opened the door. She watched Ron still sleeping and she walked over to him to wake him up. Before she had the chance, Ron turned on his side and the covers went lower. His chest was almost uncovered and Hermione couldn't help but stare.</p><p>She had never paid any attention in the past to Ron's physique, but now she was drawn to every muscle and every abs of his body. <em>I can't believe I lived with him for 5 years and never noticed how hot he is</em>, she thought. She always called him handsome, but it was just a friendly thing. Like him calling her beautiful, although she knew she wasn't.</p><p>The covers were up to Ron's waist and Hermione couldn't help but wonder if he was stark naked under those. Biting her lips to try to contain herself, she looked away. <em>What the hell is wrong with me? He is just Ron! My best friend! Why I can't control myself anymore when I'm near him? Come on, Hermione. You can do it. Relax! He is just Ron. He is just Ron</em>, she thought.</p><p>She took a few deep breaths and then she turned again to Ron. She moved really close to him and whispered in his ear. "Ron, wake up. Breakfast is ready."</p><p>Ron felt a sweet tingling in his ear and he opened his eyes. He saw Hermione next to him smiling. "What time it is?"</p><p>"Time to get up and join me for breakfast," she teased and left the room.</p><p>Like every morning, Ron took a quick shower and 10 minutes later, he went to the kitchen. He sat at his chair and a huge grin spread on his face when he saw what Hermione had prepared for him.</p><p>Hermione didn't notice Ron coming into the kitchen. She had her back turned to him and she was trying to reach for some glasses from the top shelf in the cupboard. Ron slowly walked behind her and he wrapped his arms around her waist. Hermione was startled and a glass fell from her hands, breaking and slicing her palm.</p><p>"Oh my God, I'm sorry, Hermione. Are you alright?" he asked cursing himself for his stupidity.</p><p>Hermione opened the tub and she put her hand under the sink. She looked at her wound and she sighed in relief. "It's alright, Ron. Just a small cut," she said.</p><p>Ron went to the bathroom and got the first aid kit. He went back to the kitchen and he told Hermione to sit on her chair, so he could wrap a bandage around the wound. Hermione did as she was told and Ron kneeled on the floor next to her.</p><p>He rinsed and disinfected the cut, and then he wrapped a bandage gently on the wound. While doing that, he couldn't help but notice how soft Hermione's skin was. He ran his thumb softly on her hand and he couldn't stop. For some reason, he loved the feeling of Hermione's skin.</p><p>Hermione almost stopped breathing. She was still trying to regain her composure after the feel of Ron's arm wrapped around her waist. Having him now so close and feeling the warm touch of his thumb on her hand made her shiver. She knew her face was red like a tomato, and she prayed for Ron to stop touching her. <em>God, Ron. Don't you see what you are doing me?</em> She thought.</p><p>Ron kept caressing Hermione's hand with his thumb, until he snapped out of his trance and looked at Hermione's face. He saw that she was flushed and tense for some reason, but he thought it was because of her pain. He tried to help her, by kissing her bandaged palm gently. "Better?" He asked and Hermione nodded.</p><p>Ron went to the bathroom to put the kit back and Hermione let out a sigh when he was out of sight. <em>God, first he hugs me and then he kisses my wound? Is he trying to kill me,</em> she wondered.</p><p>Having him so close to her or touching her was almost unbearable to her. She closed her eyes and thought about the hug Ron tried to give her. A hug from behind is something couples do. Was that an effort from Ron to tell her that he likes her as more than a friend? Was she getting crazy?</p><p>Ron came back and his voice shook her out of her reverie. "Again, I'm really sorry, Hermione. I can't believe how stupid I am."</p><p>"Ron, I told you it's okay. It's just a cut. Don't worry about it."</p><p>Hermione then tried to change the subject. "Now, I know that you might be mad at me for not coming last night to the pub, but I honestly couldn't, Ron. There was so much paperwork to finish and when I finished I was knackered. I just wanted to come home and sleep," she said truthfully.</p><p>Ron sat back on his chair and he drank some tea. "Hermione, it's fine. Besides, you are going to make it up to me on Saturday. You are coming, right?" he asked her hopefully.</p><p>"Of course, I'll come, Ron. You know that I love to see you play," she said and Ron smiled. "Anyway, I couldn't help but feel bad about yesterday, so I made you your favorites. Eat."</p><p>Ron looked again at everything that Hermione made for him and his eyes lit up. "Hermione, I know that right now I'm supposed to say something like <em>you shouldn't have,</em> but this smells so good that I don't care why you did it. Just thank you," he said and he started eating.</p><p>Hermione watched him enjoying the breakfast she made for him and she felt really proud of herself. "Oh my God, I almost forgot," she said suddenly and she hurried to her room. The reason was that she had bought something earlier in the morning - the Guardian.</p><p>She went back to the kitchen and with a wide smile, she gave Ron the newspaper. "There is a full review of the game and there is a mention of your performance," she said happily.</p><p>Ron took the newspaper and he nervously started reading out loud.</p><p>"<em>Against the odds to overcome Newcastle's exceptional play, Millwall managed to qualify for the quarterfinals of the FA Cup. Finnegan's header after a great cross from Longbottom five minutes before the final whistle was enough to send Snape and his boys to the next round where they are going to face Manchester City. The game will be held in Manchester in 3 weeks</em>," Ron read, but Hermione interrupted him.</p><p>"Ron, go to your part," she said eagerly.</p><p>"I'm sorry. You are right. There it is," he said after he found the part Hermione was talking about.</p><p>"<em>Finnegan may have won the MVP award of the game, but if it wasn't for Weasley and his incredible saves, Millwall wouldn't have had a chance to win the game. Weasley is a back-up goalkeeper, but he showed plenty of quality in his game. We don't know what's going to happen when Zabini comes back from his injury, but coach Snape would be in a great dilemma when it will come to the selection of the basic goalkeeper, especially if Weasley keeps his form at this high standard</em>," he finished reading, blushing.</p><p>While Ron read the article, Hermione had her eyes glued to his lips. She watched those lips moving up and down and she couldn't help but lick hers. She wanted to taste those lips like mad.</p><p>When Ron finished reading, he gave her a smile and Hermione melted. She had to do something. She walked over to him, took the newspaper from his hand, and sat on his lap, hugging him very tightly. "I'm so proud of you, Ron," she whispered in his ear and she kissed him softly on his cheek.</p><p>They stayed like that for a few seconds, but when Ron decided to break the hug, Hermione hugged him even more tightly. She wanted to feel his body and she wanted him to feel hers. It felt so wonderful to have her body wrapped around his. Could <em>he possibly feel the same?</em></p><p>After a few moments she knew it was time to unwrap herself from him. If she didn't, Ron might suspect something. She released her arms from his neck, giving him one more kiss on the cheek, and then she rose from his lap and went to sit on her chair.</p><p>Ron returned to his breakfast, without noticing anything.</p><p>"So, did you have fun last night," he heard Hermione asking him.</p><p>"Yeah, it was cool. I missed you, you know," he said truthfully.</p><p>"Y- You did?" she asked with a shaky voice.</p><p>"Of course, I did. There were too many people in the pub and as much as I love my brothers, Ginny, and Harry, they are not you. All I wanted was to talk to you and share my excitement just with you."</p><p>Hermione was speechless. Could that mean that he sees her as something different? Could he think of her as a woman? An idea popped into her head. "Next time, we are going to celebrate just the two of us. We are going to stay here, we will order some Indian food that you like so much, and we'll watch a movie snuggling on the couch. How does that sound," she asked him hopefully.</p><p>"Sounds perfect."</p><p>Hermione's mind was restless after that. She and Ron would have an unofficial date on Saturday if he won. At least that's how it seemed to her. She knew that Ron wasn't thinking about her like that, but she didn't care. She was going to give Ron the best sexless night of his life. Not that she would mind if they had sex, but she knew the odds were slim.</p><p>"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I met a girl," he said grinning.</p><p>Hermione smile faded away quickly. Her eyes widened, her breath stopped and she gaped at him with her mouth wide open. It was unbelievable how four little words could cause so many physical symptoms. <em>I met a girl</em>. All her hopes were shattered in a blink of a second and anger rose inside her. "Wow! Congratulations, Ron. Did you shag her?" she said in an angry tone.</p><p>Ron was taken aback by her reaction. "What? Of course, I didn't," he said, trying to defend himself. He didn't understand why Hermione was mad at him. "Not that I didn't want to," he mumbled, but Hermione heard him.</p><p>"What stopped you then?" she asked him not taking her eyes from his.</p><p>"I don't know, Hermione. I just met her last night and you know I'm not into one-night stands. I want to take things slowly. I have a date with her tomorrow for dinner and I'm thinking-" he said feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden, but Hermione interrupted him.</p><p>"Is she pretty?" she asked him in the same angry tone.</p><p>"Yes, she's very pretty. She's blonde with green eyes. She works as a model actually," he said almost dreamily.</p><p>Hermione couldn't believe it. <em>A model? How could she ever compete with a model?</em> She wanted to leave immediately. She almost couldn't breathe and she felt tears forming in her eyes after that. "That's good. I'm happy for you," she said with a fake smile, avoiding look at him in the eyes.</p><p>"I'm off to work now. Have a nice day," she added quickly and she left slamming the door behind her as hard as she could, without Ron having a chance to say anything else.</p><p>Ron stared at the door very confused. He couldn't explain Hermione's strange behavior. "What the hell is her problem<em>?"</em> he wondered.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. A little lower</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione was at her office working non-stop. She needed a distraction and there was nothing better than work. She tried to block all thoughts from her brain about Ron, but every once in a while the image of Ron kissing her palm would penetrate her mind and she would be forced to shut it out.</p><p>
  <em>I don't like him like that. He's just my best friend. And he has a date which means he doesn't like me either. Everything is exactly like it is supposed to be.</em>
</p><p>Sighing she looked outside her office and she saw Draco flirting with another guy she didn't know. She saw how the guy pulled out a card and gave it to Draco. He noticed Hermione when he walked by her office and he showed her the card with the guy's phone number on it.</p><p>"Mission accomplished," he said with a wink and he left to return to his office.</p><p>Hermione had to smile at that, but she felt jealous of Draco. He made it look so easy<em>. </em>She remembered what he had told her the other day<em>. </em>He talked like he knew exactly what he had to do. Like, he had a plan.</p><p>
  <em>I wonder if there is a specific plan I have to follow to seduce Ron. What could I do to make him notice me? Maybe I should do what Draco told me. I could wear sexy clothes, although I would have to buy some, because I have no sexy clothes in my wardrobe.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I could convince him to see a romantic movie with me. Of course, I have to put in a lot of effort to keep him awake during the movie. I could…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh, who am I kidding? I could never seduce Ron. I'm not confident enough to do that. Not that I want to. Ron is my friend. He is just my friend.</em>
</p><p>Hermione suddenly heard a knock on her door that shook her out of her reverie. "Come in."</p><p>A tall redhead stepped in and Hermione went to hug her. "Ginny, it's so good to see you. What are you doing here?"</p><p>"Well, I haven't seen you in a while and I thought I'd surprise you," she answered smiling.</p><p>"You did well. Come and sit."</p><p>"I wanted to see you yesterday at the pub, but Harry and I left early. I told Ron to tell you but i'm not sure if that git heard me."</p><p>"I didn't go to the pub last night. I had too much work to do," Hermione said with an almost guilty voice.</p><p>"Oh, that's okay. Tell you the truth, I wasn't excited to go either. James has taken all of the energy out of me and I'm always tired. But Harry insisted that we go and have a little fun together. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something, if you don't mind."</p><p>"Sure, go ahead. What is it?" Hermione asked curiously.</p><p>"Actually, I was thinking that we could go to that restaurant across the street. I'm starving and what I want to talk to you about might take a while. My treat," Ginny said with a smile.</p><p>Hermione looked at her watch and she saw it was one hour past her usual time for lunch break. After Ron's confession about meeting that girl, she had lost her appetite, so it wasn't a surprise that she forgot to eat lunch. She agreed to Ginny's offer and ten minutes later, they were in Filly's restaurant.</p><p>"You are not very hungry, huh?" Ginny asked her.</p><p>Hermione looked at her plate of mushroom risotto and she saw that it was untouched. "No, I suppose I'm not," she answered with a small smile.</p><p>"I know about your plan," Ginny said suddenly and Hermione almost choked on the water she was drinking.</p><p>"What? What are you talking about? What plan?" she responded with wide eyes. <em>She can't possibly know about my plan to seduce Ron, right?</em></p><p>"A plan that involves you and my git of a brother."</p><p><em>Oh my God! Is she a psychic?</em> "How do you know about that?" she asked with widened eyes.</p><p>"What? How do I know that you two are planning to trick my family into believing that you two are in some sort of relationship?"</p><p>Hermione felt a huge wave of relief and she sighed. She looked at Ginny and saw that she was very serious, almost mad at her. Okay, she and Ron were pretending to be a happy couple, but they weren't committing a crime. She realized though, that Ginny had no idea about her deal with Ron to help her with her mother. Maybe Ginny thought that she and Ron wanted to play some sick joke on his family and have some laugh. Hermione wanted to clear things up.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Ginny. It's my fault. I asked Ron to pretend he's my boyfriend to get my mother off my back. Unfortunately, my mother called yours and she came to our flat and Ron lied that we have been a "couple" for the last two years to get your mother off his back. I know it seems a little extreme, but it's just a friend helping a friend. No harm done," she said and she truly believed it.</p><p>"No harm done? Come and tell that to my mother, Hermione!" Ginny snapped at her angrily and Hermione was taken aback.</p><p>"She was always very fond of you. Even though she only met you a few times on birthdays and once in the hospital when Ron had his appendix removed, she loves you. She always talks about how Ron must open his eyes, see what a wonderful girl he has next to him, and marry you," she said mimicking Molly's voice and Hermione blushed.</p><p>She had no idea that Ron's mother thought like that about her; she made a mental note that the next time she saw Molly, she should give her a huge hug.</p><p>Ginny kept talking and Hermione tried to focus. "Now you told her that you are a couple? Do you have any idea how happy my mother is right now? She can't stop talking about you; she is saying how everyone should behave nicely to you and how we all must do our utmost to make you feel like a member of the family. To make you feel like Hermione Weasley," she said.</p><p>Hermione couldn't help but feel excited with the prospect. Hermione Weasley had a nice ring to it. <em>Of course, I would want to keep my name too. Hermione Weasley Granger. Or should it be Hermione Granger Weasley? God, I'm pathetic…</em></p><p>Ginny waved a hand in front of her face and Hermione stopped daydreaming. "Hermione, are you listening to me?"</p><p>"Yes, of course. I don't know what to tell you, Ginny," she answered looking at the floor trying to avoid her stare.</p><p>"I want you to tell me that you realize the seriousness of the situation, Hermione. My mother invited you and your parents, to Weasley Week. You know what that means? It means that you are family. We don't allow anyone that is not a Weasley or a Weasley-to-be. It means that if you come, you are considered to be Ron's future wife."</p><p>An image of her in a white wedding dress and Ron standing next to her as the groom popped in her head and she couldn't hide her smile. <em>We would make a beautiful couple. We could… No we couldn't. Ron doesn't like you like that. And you don't like him either. End of story.</em></p><p>"I haven't talked with Ron about this. He never told me anything about this "anual event" you are having," she said to Ginny.</p><p>"That's because Ron never brought a girl before and he is always saying that it is a stupid tradition. If you ask me, he's just bitter because every year he sees all our brothers come with their families; they tease him because he is always alone. I mean even I've been bringing Harry the last six years. Ron has just been standing in the corner watching all of us like he is an outsider to all of the "couples" conversations; I know that it bothers him. He tries to hide it, but I know my brother. I know when he feels uncomfortable."</p><p>"Ron dated a few girls since I've known him. He never brought home any of these girls?" she asked Ginny. Over the last five years, Ron had at least three girlfriends: Kelly, Marion and her old assistant, Parvati.</p><p>"Hermione, you are the only woman that Ron brought home to meet us. That alone shows how much you mean to Ron," Ginny said reaching out and squeezing Hermione's hand.</p><p>Hermione was shocked with that revelation. <em>He only brought me! Only me</em>, she thought and a huge grin spread across her face.</p><p>"Listen, Hermione. I just don't want anybody to get hurt. You are not like the other girls. Your little plan might end up hurting good people. For sure, my mother is one. She wants to believe in this relationship. She wants you to marry Ron," Ginny said truthfully.</p><p>"It's a messed up situation, huh?" Hermione said, cursing under her breath. Her own cowardness about not telling her mother that she wants to live her life as she likes was the cause of all of this. Now she might end up hurting Mrs. Weasley. She felt sick with guilt.</p><p>"What are you going to do? Are you still going to pretend that you are a couple until one of you finds a girlfriend or a boyfriend?" Ginny asked her.</p><p>"Don't worry about that. Your brother is having a date tomorrow, so he might have a real girlfriend to bring to your festival," Hermione said with bitterness in her voice and a fake smile that didn't go unnoticed by Ginny.</p><p>"May I ask why your voice and your facial expression clearly suggest that you're upset with Ron's date?" Ginny asked her curiously.</p><p>Hermione snapped. "What are you talking about? I'm not upset. I'm happy for him. He can date whomever he wants. If he wants to date a blonde model and get an STD, then that's his problem. I really couldn't care less," she said, but it was quite clear to Ginny that she did care.</p><p>"Oh my God! You fancy Ron! I can't believe it! When did that happen?" Ginny asked with wide eyes.</p><p>"What? Are you insane? I- I don't fancy Ron. You don't know what you are talking about," she said as she rose from her seat. "Now if you excuse me I have a lot of work to do. Have a nice day," she added and left the table hurriedly.</p><p>"Hermione!" she heard Ginny called behind her, but she kept walking. She needed to get away from her as fast as she could.</p><p>Hermione spent the next hour trying to regain her composure. She was still shaking after her catastrophic talk with Ginny.</p><p><em>Stupid Ginny doesn't know what she's talking about. I don't fancy Ron. I don't like him like that. He's just my friend. I'm just lonely and he's hot. That's it and nothing more, right? Right?</em> She asked herself pleading for a positive answer that never came.</p><p>Once again, she took Ron's photo out from the bottom drawer of her desk.<em> Do I really fancy you, Ron</em>? She asked the picture.</p><p>
  <em>Well, there is a way to find out. I could always follow Draco's advice. Maybe I'll end up humiliating myself, but at least I would know if I'm interested in him and if he's interested in me or not.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But how can I seduce him? I'm not good at that. I'm good with books, but I doubt Ron would get turned on by hearing me analyze all statutes of Commercial Law. Men want breasts and short skirts, and like touching women and… touching? I can do that. I can give him a massage. Or better yet, he can give me one.</em>
</p><p>This might not end up well for her, so at least she could enjoy a few moments of relaxation.</p><p>Hermione made up her mind by the time she arrived home. She would try to convince Ron to give her a massage and like Draco suggested she would produce some sensual sounds. She knew she was pathetic, but she had nothing to lose. <em>Except my dignity and my best friend</em>, she thought, but she chose to be more optimistic.</p><p>Ron was in his room listening to some music, when he heard a knock on his door. "Come in," he said and a smiling Hermione stepped in.</p><p>"Hey, Ron. I was wondering if you could you do me a huge favor?"</p><p>"Anything for you."</p><p>"My back is killing me. It must be from sitting too many hours in that awful chair in my office. You think you could give me a massage? I really need it," she said touching her neck and letting out a sigh to show him that she was indeed in pain.</p><p>"Sure, come here," he said pointing at his bed.</p><p>"No, actually I want to take a shower first. Could you come to my room in fifteen minutes?"</p><p>"Yeah, no problem," Ron said and Hermione left the room to go take a shower.</p><p>Fifteen minutes later, Ron was outside Hermione's door. He knocked softly, "Hermione, are you decent?"</p><p>"Yes, Ron. Come inside."</p><p>Hermione had only a towel wrapped around her and nothing else. She knew it was too much, but for some reason she didn't feel very uncomfortable. She wasn't afraid of Ron seeing her naked. In fact, she wanted him too.</p><p>Ron saw Hermione and his ears went completely red. He wasn't very used to seeing Hermione with so few clothes on.</p><p>"Okay, I suppose you should lie down," he said and he turned around so Hermione could make herself comfortable on the bed.</p><p>Hermione lied down and she said softly. "It's okay, now. You can turn around."</p><p>Ron saw Hermione lying down on her stomach and her back was completely naked. The towel was covering her from the waist down.</p><p>"Wait, I want you to use this oil. A friend in the office gave it to me. She said it's perfect for back pain," Hermione said giving him a bottle of sweet almond oil.</p><p>Ron took the bottle and he put some oil on her back. He started to spread the oil everywhere and he couldn't help but notice how beautiful Hermione's back was. She had some freckles on her left shoulder that went all the way down her back. He couldn't take his eyes off of those freckles and for a moment he thought about wanting to count them.</p><p>After a couple of minutes, he realized what he was doing and he took his eyes away immediately. "So, where do you feel pain?" he asked her nervously.</p><p>"My entire back is killing me, Ron," he heard her saying softly.</p><p>"Okay, here we go. Tell me if I'm hurting you, alright?"</p><p>Hermione was very tense and Ron could tell. He started massaging her neck, nice and slow. He kneaded her back gently as he worked his fingers against her skin; he continued up and down her neck and along the sides, and she felt her muscles starting to loosen up. His touch was simply wonderful.</p><p>"Mmmm… That feels so good," she blurted out with a soft moan.</p><p>Ron stopped abruptly. <em>Was that Hermione moaning?</em> He chose to ignore it for now. He pressed his palms against her skin again as he massaged her shoulders.</p><p>"Oh yes, right there, Ron," Hermione said and let a louder moan this time. Ron was started to feel very uncomfortable. His best friend was moaning from pleasure that he was giving her. But the worst part was that her moans were causing him unwanted side effects in his pants.</p><p>Hermione was blushing like mad, but thankfully for her, Ron couldn't see her face. So far everything went according to plan. She noticed how the deliberate moans she let out during Ron's massage caused his hands to start shaking. She decided to go for a little more. What did she have to lose anyway?</p><p>"Ron, could you massage me a little lower?" she asked him in a soft and seductive way. <em>Oh my God, I'm pathetic</em>.</p><p>Ron choked and removed his hands from Hermione's body immediately. <em>Did she just say what I think she did? She wants me to touch her lower? How much lower?</em> "Hmm… S-sure," he stammered.</p><p>He began massaging and kneading her back, starting by her shoulders and worked his way down her spine very slowly, using his fingers and the palm of his hands. The oil made it easy to slide his hands over her soft skin, and the oils had a warming sensation which he hoped felt good to her.</p><p>"You tell me when I've reached the spot, alright?" he asked and he prayed to himself that Hermione would not let him touch her all the way down. Just the thought of her letting him massage her beautiful bum was driving him crazy, and he knew he wouldn't be able to control himself.</p><p>His hands were now near the base of her spine and he heard Hermione moaning louder. "H-here?" he said choking.</p><p>"Yeah, that's the spot, Ron. Right there," she whispered.</p><p>Hermione kept moaning and Ron had to bite his lips as hard as he could and he wasn't surprised when he felt them bleeding. He wanted to scream, to touch, to run, and to kiss. He didn't know what he wanted, but the whole situation was too much for him right now.</p><p>He kept rubbing as best as he could, while trying to remember how to breathe.</p><p>It was a minute later when he decided that he couldn't stand it anymore and he stopped. "I think we are done now," he said and he made a move to leave the room as fast as he could, until he heard Hermione's sweet voice.</p><p>"Thank you so much, Ron. I knew I can always count on your strong hands," she said with a wink.</p><p>"Anytime," Ron said and he stormed of the room.</p><p>When she saw the door close, Hermione started to curse herself for her stupidity.</p><p>"I winked! I winked! I'm so stupid! I shouldn't have done that! Now he must have realized what I was trying to do. That's why he ran away like crazy. I can't believe I humiliated myself like that. How can I look him in the eyes now?" She asked herself and she buried her face in her pillow, while tears rolled down her cheeks.</p><p>Ron went immediately to the bathroom after Hermione's massage to get rid of his huge erection. It only took a couple of minutes of beating his meat while thinking about Hermione to reach his climax. Right after, he took a cold shower and finally relaxed. He went to the sink, looked at the mirror, and realized what had just happened.</p><p>"What the hell just happened?" he asked his reflection and he put his hands on his face feeling sick and embarrassed with himself.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Bunny slippers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ron and Hermione had shared over a thousand breakfasts together so far, but today's breakfast was without a doubt the most awkward. The tension between them was obvious and both of them were avoiding looking the other in the eyes.</p><p>Hermione felt embarrassed about the show she put on last night. She couldn't believe that she stooped so low as to try to "turn on" her best friend. She was aware of the awkwardness between them and she hated herself for causing it.</p><p>Last night, she didn't get much sleep, because every time she closed her eyes she would think about how Ron's touch created such a wonderful sensation throughout her body. After many hours of trying to fight the heat between her legs, she couldn't help herself and masturbated thinking about him.</p><p>She was ashamed of that, but it helped her body relax. Her mind was still restless though. She was worried about what the morning would bring. Unfortunately for her, her worst fears were realized. Ron was avoiding her gaze and she understood what that meant.</p><p><em>He realized what I was doing last night and it disgusted him. That's why he ran from my room. He didn't like what he saw and he doesn't know how to tell me, </em>she thought sadly.</p><p>Ron was drowning in his own thoughts. He didn't get much sleep either. He was trying to find an answer to why he reacted the way he did.</p><p>He tried to rationalize his actions by remembering that he is young and has hormones and this encounter last night with Hermione was the closest he had been with a woman in a long time.</p><p>Plus Hermione is drop-dead gorgeous. At least, to him she is. And what guy would stay apathetic while hearing a beautiful girl moaning? It was a normal reaction.</p><p>Of course, that didn't explained why every time he closed his eyes, he thought about Hermione's freckled back and the wonderful sensation her soft skin left on his hands.</p><p>And it didn't explain why after many hours trying to ignore his hard-on, he gave up and masturbated again thinking about her.</p><p>He was ashamed of that, but it helped his body relax. His mind was still restless though. He was worried about what the morning would bring.</p><p>So, both of them were eating in silence and stealing glances whenever the other one wasn't looking. Hermione was the first to break the silence by talking.</p><p>"I'm planning to drop by the supermarket today. Do you want something?" she asked, although she knew the answer. <em>A six pack of lemon iced tea and chocolate ice cream</em>, she thought.</p><p>"A six pack of lemon iced tea and some chocolate ice cream," he said and Hermione had to bite her lips to keep from laughing at that.</p><p>After five years, she knew Ron too well. He was never picky about food. He would eat anything you served him, but Hermione knew that Ron couldn't live without iced tea and ice cream. She didn't know why, but she imagined it had something to do with the ice element.</p><p>"I wanted to eat some last night, but there wasn't any left," she heard him adding and she wondered how she didn't hear him going to the kitchen last night.</p><p>"What time did you get up?" she asked him curiously.</p><p>"I don't know. Late, I suppose. I was having trouble sleeping and at some point I got hungry."</p><p><em>He was probably thinking about the blonde bimbo that he has a date with tonight. Why else would he stay awake? Surely he didn't stay up, thinking about me</em>, Hermione thought bitterly.</p><p>"I suppose you're nervous about your date tonight and that's why you couldn't sleep, right?" she asked him, looking him in the eyes, but Ron turned his gaze to his plate.</p><p>He couldn't look her in the eyes. He was too ashamed to tell her that she was the reason he couldn't sleep last night. Truth was he didn't even remember Lavender and their date, until the very moment when Hermione mentioned her.</p><p>But it did sound like a better excuse than '<em>No, I couldn't sleep, because I had a permanent erection thinking about my best friend's freckled back!'</em></p><p>"Yes, that's why," he lied.</p><p><em>See, I told you, Hermione. He was thinking about her. Just accept that he doesn't see you like that and stop embarrassing yourself</em>, she screamed inside her head.</p><p>"What time is your date?" she asked him, trying to play it cool.</p><p>"I'll pick her up at her house at 9 p.m.," he answered and Hermione almost choked on the juice she was drinking.</p><p><em>That is way too late. Is it supposed to be a "dinner followed by sex" date? Of course, it was. He told you yesterday that he wants to have sex with her. But doesn't he have a game tomorrow? He needs to save his strength. He mustn't have sex with her, because it might negatively affect his performance. Yeah, that's sound like a good excuse, </em>she thought.</p><p>"Why so late, Ron?" she asked him and he raised his eyebrows.</p><p>"I mean, don't you have a game tomorrow? You need to sleep early to recharge your batteries."</p><p>"It doesn't make any difference. I never sleep before a game, Hermione, especially now, that I'm playing. I'm too nervous and nothing can make me relax," he said sighing.</p><p>Hermione sighed too. She didn't like his answer. If he was sure that he would be awake no matter what, then he might think that it would be more fun if he had sex with that girl rather than spend the night in his room, eating ice cream.</p><p>"Still, you have a game tomorrow. You shouldn't stress your body with… unnecessary activities," she said, emphasizing the last two words.</p><p>Ron took the hint. She was telling him that he shouldn't have sex with Lavender tonight. He looked at her and he saw that she had a worried look on her face. <em>Is she really that worried about my career?</em></p><p>He thought about what she said. Maybe he needed to stay focused on the game. With his mind on last night's events and tonight's date with Lavender, he almost forgot that tomorrow he had a game to play.</p><p>"Hermione, it's just dinner. I'm not going to have sex with her."</p><p>"Well, you don't know that, Ron. Are you sure you want that kind of distraction before a game?" Hermione said, blushing. <em>Because if you want, I'm available</em>, she wanted to scream to him.</p><p>"Let me worry about that, alright?" Ron said and he left to go to his room. This morning was already too awkward and the last thing he wanted right now was to talk about sex with her.</p><p>Hermione watched him leaving, feeling tightness in her stomach. She was sure that Ron left, because he was going to have sex with that girl tonight; He didn't want to talk to her about it, because it wasn't her business.</p><p>It was half an hour before Ron's date and Hermione was snuggling on the sofa. She pretended to be watching TV, but in reality she was waiting for Ron to come out of his room, so she could see what he looked like for his date.</p><p>Ron walked into the living room and Hermione couldn't help but stare. He was wearing a black suit with a white shirt and no tie that made him look like a model from GQ. He had shaved and fixed his hair, so that it now looked perfect. In one word, he was a hunk.</p><p>"So, how do I look?" he asked her and his voice shook Hermione out of her reverie.</p><p>"You look very dashing," she said truthfully, forcing a smile.</p><p>Ron felt his ears go red and he had to look away. "I better go now, or else I'm going to be late."</p><p>"Yeah, we girls hate that," she said and her eyes were glued to his. Ron wasn't looking at her, but when he did, he couldn't take his gaze away.</p><p>Neither was breaking their eye contact. It was as if their eyes were having a private party and the rest of their bodies weren't invited.</p><p>For a strange reason, Ron felt like he shouldn't leave. That he shouldn't go out with Lavender. That he should stay here, snuggle on the sofa with Hermione, and watch some lame movie on TV.</p><p>"Thanks. Hmm… goodnight," he said and he left hurriedly.</p><p>When Ron closed the door behind him, Hermione felt a knot in her throat and tears started rolling down her cheeks.</p><hr/><p>"Am I boring you?" Lavender asked him.</p><p>"No, not at all," Ron answered quickly.</p><p>"You are definitely not interested in what I'm saying," she said with a hint of bitterness in her voice.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Lavender, that I'm not a good company. I just have a lot of my mind," he said sighing and drinking a gulp of his red wine.</p><p>"What's troubling you? If you want to tell me, of course."</p><p>"It's my job. Lavender, I waited five years for my chance and I don't want to screw it up. I'm just nervous and I can't focus on anything else," he lied, but it was a good excuse.</p><p>Lavender jumped at the chance to talk about his job. So far, Ron hadn't told her anything about his life and she was the only one who talked. "Do you love being a goalkeeper?"</p><p>"I wouldn't choose anything else," Ron said truthfully.</p><p>"Do you love being a model?" he asked her and Lavender smiled a bit. It was the first time during dinner that he was asking a question.</p><p>"No, I don't like it to tell you the truth, but the money is good."</p><p>"You sold your soul and your perfect body for money? That's bad. You might burn in hell for that," he teased her.</p><p>"So, I have a perfect body?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.</p><p>"Like you haven't heard that before," he said smiling.</p><p>"I have, but not from you," she said with a wink, fully aware that now they were entering the flirting zone.</p><p>Ron knew that his ears now were similar to his hair colour. It was the first time during dinner that he had relaxed and started flirting with her.</p><p>Lavender sat a little more comfortably in her chair by crossing her legs. That gave him full view of her sexy thighs.</p><p>Ron's mouth fell on the floor when he first saw her when he picked her up at her house. She was wearing a yellow, knee-length dress, with a deep V neckline that fit her perfectly and flaunted her beautiful body in a sexy, but not slutty way.</p><p>He noticed how every guy in the restaurant was stealing glances at Lavender. She was truly stunning tonight and he felt proud that she was with him.</p><p>However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't concentrate on Lavender. His mind always drifted away and he ended up thinking about Hermione again. He was thinking about how cute she looked this evening with her orange silk pajamas and her bunny slippers, which were a gift from him and she always wore around the house.</p><p><em>What the hell is the matter with me? I'm on a date with one of the hottest woman I've ever seen or ever will in my life. She is every man's dream and is wearing one of the sexiest dresses ever made and I can only think about my best friend in pajamas and slippers? Are you mental?</em> He screamed at himself.</p><hr/><p>One hour after Ron left, Hermione was still on the sofa watching 'The Notebook.' She never liked the movie or the book. She was never a firm believer in soul mates and one true love. She didn't believe that you could have butterflies in your stomach when someone kisses you or that one summer could ever be enough to keep a love alive for fourteen years, like the story of Allie and Noah.</p><p>She knew that a love story like this didn't exist in the real world. She wondered if maybe she didn't believe in true love, because she hadn't met the right person yet.</p><p>Surely it wasn't Adam. She met him in college and he was her first in a lot of areas. Hermione was always a closed-off person and she thought she didn't need a guy in her life. Adam was her closest friend and they were both members of the book club. One night they both talked about how they were both virgins and the next thing she knew, she wasn't a virgin anymore. They started dating for a while after that, but it was obvious that neither of them felt any strong emotions for the other.</p><p>Surely it wasn't John, her boss's nephew. He was sweet and nice with her; In a way, he was the only real romantic relationship so far in her life. Her mother loved him, the sex was good, they shared common interests but he had to go away and work in Germany. They tried the long distant relationship for a bit but soon they both realized it wasn't working and decided to break up and stay friends. Of course, they were never friends before they got together and that's why Hermione hadn't seen him over the last two years. Her boss told her that he married a German girl a few months ago, not that she really cared.</p><p>Without a shadow of a doubt, it wasn't Viktor. She still couldn't believe how she allowed herself to lose three whole months of her life by going out with him. He was Ron's teammate at the time. Ron warned her that he wasn't good enough for her and that he only wanted to have fun with her. Foolishly, Hermione didn't listen to him. She thought that Ron was speaking out of spite, because Viktor had already agreed to transfer to Arsenal in a few months and Ron was still on Millwall's bench.</p><p>She still remembered how Ron never said anything when she told him that she caught him cheating on her. Ron just hugged her for hours until she had shed her last tear.</p><p>What she never told Ron was that she didn't cry for Viktor that night, but for him. She almost ruined her friendship with him. He tried to warn her and protect her from that jerk and she just ignored him. She even brought him home and had sex with him, while Ron was in the next room; Ron had always hated Viktor and she knew it.</p><p>She would never forgive herself for those three months and her behaviour towards Ron, but maybe her punishment was that she had to have sex with Viktor. Throughout the three months, he never gave her an orgasm. He was a terrible kisser and a lousy, selfish lover. Hermione started to wonder if she was ever going to find someone who would make her feel complete.</p><p>It was at that time when she had called her mother and told her that she had a boyfriend, and her mother asked her to bring him home so they could meet him. She didn't know how to tell her mother that once again she failed in another relationship. She couldn't believe it when Ron agreed to pretend to be her boyfriend after the Viktor issue.</p><p>She felt blessed to have a great friend like Ron and she made a promise to herself to never hurt him again.</p><p>Hermione saw it was getting late and believed that Ron wasn't coming home. She decided to drink a shot of whiskey to calm herself, but it was pointless. Dark thoughts of Ron having sex with that girl right now were on her mind. Before she knew it, the one shot become seven and she was totally pissed. It wasn't a surprise that she fell asleep on the couch a little while later.</p><p>Ron came home around midnight. He tried to be quiet, so he wouldn't wake up Hermione. When he saw her on the sofa, he thought she just had fallen asleep, but when he went closer, he smelled the alcohol on her breath. He saw the bottle of whiskey half-empty and he wondered if she could have drunk that much alone.</p><p>The most important question was why she was drinking. He knew that Hermione never drank alcohol; in order for her to do so, something must have happened. He wondered if she had problems at work or if it was something personal. He made a mental note to ask her about that tomorrow.</p><p>He tried to wake her up and tell her to go to her room, but she wasn't responding to his joggles. She only mumbled some things that Ron couldn't understand. He decided to carry her to her room. He laid her down on her bed gently and threw a blanket over her.</p><p>That caused Hermione to open her eyes. Everything was blurry and she shut them again. She felt that someone was lifting her head to place a pillow under her. "Ron, is that you?" she asked.</p><p>"Yes, it's me. It's okay. Go back to sleep," he whispered.</p><p>"Did you sleep with her, Ron?" He heard her asking the question with her eyes shut. Ron didn't understand why she asked him that, but without knowing why he wanted to tell her the truth.</p><p>"No, I didn't."</p><p>He saw a smile forming on Hermione's sleeping face and heard her whispering "That's good," before she started snoring softly.</p><p>Ron didn't understand why a drunken Hermione was happy with his not very active sexual life, but he chose to ignore it. He decided to spend the rest of the night in the living room, so he could be right next to Hermione's room. He wasn't going to sleep anyway, and he was worried about Hermione's drunken state.</p><p>He put a bucket next to her bed just in case she needed it, and he turned on the TV. A few hours later, Hermione needed the bucket. Ron was with her and he wiped the vomit from her face and hair. When she finished, she just fell asleep again. Ron was sure that Hermione wasn't going to remember that tomorrow; this was lucky for both of them, because he didn't want her to feel embarrassed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. A new guy?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione opened her eyes slowly in the morning and she immediately felt a painful headache. It had been too long since the last time she had experienced the after effects of a hangover.</p><p>She noticed that she was in her bed and that the door to her room was wide open. She went to the bathroom to find some painkillers and she looked at herself in the mirror. She was a mess. Her eyes were red, she was wet from sweat, and she smelled like someone had vomited on her.</p><p>"Thank God that I didn't fall asleep on the sofa, but next time I should remember to close the door of my room. Imagine if Ron saw me like that. I'm never going to drink again," she said to herself, rubbing her temples.</p><p>She took a quick shower to get rid of that smell and she made a mental note to take a real bath later that day. Walking to the kitchen to prepare some breakfast, she saw that Ron was sleeping on the sofa. <em>That's odd</em>, she thought.</p><p>She didn't want to wake him up, because he had told her how he always had trouble sleeping before a game. However, since he had a game today and she didn't know what time he was supposed to leave, she decide she had to wake him up.</p><p>Twenty minutes later, Ron came to the kitchen for breakfast. "Good morning, beautiful," he said kissing the top of her head.</p><p>Hermione felt better immediately. "Good morning to you, handsome," she said with a huge grin on her face. Because of the tension at yesterday's breakfast, she had missed this little interplay they normally shared every morning.</p><p>The day didn't start as awkwardly as yesterday, but for some reason nobody attempted to start a conversation. They both wanted to ask the other about last night, but neither knew how to ask the question. After almost ten minutes in silence, Hermione spoke.</p><p>"Why did you sleep on the sofa?" she asked him curiously.</p><p>Ron was debating whether he should tell her the truth or not, because he wouldn't want her to feel embarrassed about it. <em>She must have felt awful for getting drunk, so I shouldn't mention the vomit incident</em>, he thought. "I was watching a movie and I must have fallen asleep," he lied.</p><p>Hermione was dying to ask him about his date last night, but she didn't know if that was a good idea. She had a massive headache and if Ron told her that he had a great time with that girl, it would be too much for her to handle, but she had to know.</p><p>"So, how was your date?" she asked him trying to sound cool.</p><p>"It was good. We had a nice dinner, I took her home, and I came home," he answered. He didn't want to say more or leave any doubt about what he did with Lavender.</p><p>Hermione tried unsuccessfully to hide the look of satisfaction on her face that Ron hadn't slept with that girl. She had to bite her lip to hide her smile.</p><p>Ron was very nervous. He didn't want to talk about his date with Lavender anymore, because then he would start thinking again about how he couldn't do anything with Lavender, because all he could think about was Hermione.</p><p>But he wanted to ask her why she got drunk last night. He knew that something serious must have been going on. All he wanted was for her to tell him what it was, so he could help her.</p><p>"How about you?" she heard Ron asking her and she was confused.</p><p>"What about me?"</p><p>"Hermione, when I came home last night, I found you collapsed on the sofa, totally pissed, with a bottle of whiskey next to you," he said and Hermione felt her cheeks going red with embarrassment.</p><p>She thought that she was sober enough to carry herself to her room, but apparently, she was a mess<em>. God, he went out with a model, and then he came back and saw me like that? I can't catch a break</em>, she thought.</p><p>Suddenly she realized that Ron must have carried her to her room. Her cheeks became redder. Then another realization hit her. Ron slept on the sofa, so he could be right next to her. <em>That's why the door was open. He wanted to hear me. God, why must he be so sweet? How can I not fall in love with him, when he does things like that?</em></p><p>"Did you carry me to my room?" she asked whispering and Ron nodded.</p><p>"Did you sleep here, because of me? To make sure I was alright?" she asked again, but she already knew that answer.</p><p>"I wasn't going to sleep anyway," he said blushing and Hermione loved his shyness.</p><p>He always did sweet things like that for her and he never asked for anything in return. Hermione felt the urge to run into his arms, kiss him, and tell him how much she loved him, but she knew that she couldn't do it.</p><p>"Hermione, I know that you hate alcohol, so you must have had a good reason to drink. What is it?" he asked with an honest concern in his voice, looking straight into her eyes.</p><p>Hermione melted when she stared into his beautiful blue eyes. She knew that Ron's concern was real. He really did care about her and he deserved to know the truth, but how could she tell him that he was the reason for her misery?</p><p>She decided to reveal as much of the truth as she could. "It's a guy," she said and she noticed that Ron's face went from concerned to confused.</p><p>
  <em>A guy? I didn't know that Hermione was having feelings for some guy. She hadn't told me anything. Who is that guy? What pumpkin-headed git is trying to steal her from me? </em>
  <em>Wait a minute. Steal? She's not mine to steal. She's not my girlfriend. She's just my best friend. She's just my beautiful best friend, with the sexiest freckled back in the world, the kindest brown eyes, the softest skin, and... What the hell is going on! Why am I having these thoughts?</em>
</p><p>He slowly took a few deep breaths trying to remove the confusion and anger that was growing inside him.</p><p>"Why you never mentioned him before? I thought we didn't keep secrets from each other, Hermione," he said in an angrier tone that he intended.</p><p>"We don't. That's why I'm telling you," she answered.</p><p>"Who is he?" he demanded to know, but all Hermione did was to keep staring at him.</p><p>Ron realized that she wasn't willing to tell him who this guy was, but to him it didn't make any difference even if he knew.</p><p>"Is he worth it? To drink that much for him, I mean," he asked Hermione, never taking his eyes off hers.</p><p>Hermione wondered how long her eyes were locked with his. She just couldn't order them to look anywhere else. "I think he is," she said softly.</p><p>Ron felt his stomach tighten. He didn't like her answer, but he realized that he was her best friend and he had to be supportive. If that bloke is the one who can make her happy, so be it. "Well, what's the deal with him?"</p><p>Hermione kept staring at him. "I think I'm in love with him, but I'm afraid he doesn't feel the same way about me," she answered sadly, not taking her eyes off him.</p><p>Ron wanted to throw up. She was in love with this guy. He was hoping it might just be a physical attraction, but love? When did this happen? When did she have the time to fall in love with some unknown bloke?</p><p>He clenched his fists under the table and turned his gaze to the floor, trying to hide his emotions. He was mad at her, at the bloke who made her sad, but most of all at himself, because deep down he was happy that this guy turned her down. He couldn't live without her and slowly but surely, he started to understand why.</p><p>He looked at her and he saw that she was still looking at him, waiting for something. He thought she wanted comfort. "If he can't appreciate what a wonderful person you are and how bloody lucky he is that you love him, then he's an idiot and you shouldn't bother yourself with him anymore," he said walking to her and giving her a tight hug.</p><p>"I'll try," she whispered, burying her face in his chest.</p><hr/><p>It was a difficult win for Millwall, but a win nonetheless. Ron invited Harry and Ginny to join him and Hermione for dinner. He had promised Hermione that it would be just the two of them, but right now that didn't seem like a very good idea to Ron.</p><p>After breakfast and Hermione's revelation about the mysterious guy she was in love with, he was angry with her and that negatively affected his performance during the game.</p><p>Snape had called him after the match and warned him that this was the last time he would accept such a poor performance from him. He didn't want to, but deep down he blamed Hermione for that.</p><p>So now, Harry and Ron were in the living room talking about the game, and Ginny and Hermione were in the kitchen putting the take-away Indian food on plates.</p><p>"Hermione, we need to talk about you-know-what."</p><p>"No, we don't Ginny. I told you; I don't fancy Ron," she lied.</p><p>"Actually that wasn't what I wanted to talk about, but now that you mention it, I think we should talk about that too."</p><p>"No, we don't. There is nothing between Ron and me, alright?" Hermione snapped.</p><p>"Hermione, I know we are not as close as you and Ron are, but I believe we are friends too, right?"</p><p>"Of course, we are, Ginny."</p><p>"Then why don't you trust me? I'm not blind, Hermione. Today in the stands, you had your eyes glued to him the entire time. Even when the ball was on the other side of the field, you were still staring at Ron. Can you tell me why you did that if you don't fancy him?"</p><p>"I didn't stare at him all the time. Besides, you know that I'm not a football fan, so why watch the other players when the only reason I go to the game is to support Ron?" Hermione said, but she knew it was a lame excuse.</p><p>"Hermione, why do you-", Ginny didn't finish the question, because Hermione interrupted her.</p><p>"Drop it, Ginny! I have too much on my mind to bother with your delusions."</p><p>"Alright, Hermione, I'll drop it …for now. But if you ever change your mind and you want a friend to talk to, I'll be there."</p><p>"Thank you, Ginny," she said, feeling relieved that Ginny stopped pestering her about Ron.</p><p>"Now, what I really wanted to talk to you about was what you and Ron are going to do about Weasley Week."</p><p>"I'll talk with Ron later about that. I promise we'll figure something out. Now let's just eat, alright?" she asked her smiling and Ginny nodded.</p><p>In the living room, Ron and Harry were having a conversation about the big derby between Manchester Utd-Arsenal, but Harry seemed more interested to Ron's date with Lavender.</p><p>"Hey, Ron, you forgot to tell me. What happened with your date last night? Did you have too much fun and that's why you weren't focused on the game today?"</p><p>"What are you talking about, Harry? We won, didn't we?" Ron snapped, but he knew Harry was right. He wasn't concentrating enough on his game, so he made some mistakes. Luckily, they didn't cost his team the win.</p><p>"Yes, but you seemed a little nervous during the game. You could have easily saved that goal!"</p><p>"My performance was good. End of story," Ron said, giving Harry a look that clearly said '<em>I don't want to talk about it' </em>and trying to change the subject.</p><p>"It's interesting how you avoided talking about the date last night."</p><p>"What do you want to know, Harry? We had a nice dinner and then I took her home," Ron answered truthfully.</p><p>"So, you didn't…"</p><p>"Okay, why is everybody asking me if I slept with Lavender? Is my sex life such an interesting topic of conversation?" he said angrily.</p><p>"Who else asked you?"</p><p>"Hermione last night, Seamus and Neville before the game, and now you."</p><p>"Ron, I really don't want to talk about your sex life, but let's be honest. I know that it has been a long time since the last time you had sex, and from what you and the guys told me, that Lavender girl must be bloody gorgeous. Why didn't you shag her? I just don't get it."</p><p>Ron looked at Harry for a moment and then he changed the subject by asking Harry about little James.</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Flashback</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ron was outside Lavender's door saying good night.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I had a really nice time, Ron," Lavender said with a smile.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"No, you didn't. I'm sorry, Lavender, if I was a lousy date," Ron said apologetically.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Ron, I'm telling you the truth. Yes, you were kinda off, but there were times tonight where you showed me what a great guy you are."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Thanks," he said and he felt his ears getting red.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Do you want to come upstairs for a drink?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ron couldn't believe what he was going to say, but he knew it was the right thing to do. "I would love that, Lavender, but I'm afraid I have to say no," he said, cursing himself mentally for turning down a wild night with a hot woman like Lavender.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Lavender's face fell. "Oh, I see."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"No, it's not that I don't want to. I just need to sort out the mess in my mind that is keeping me from enjoying my time with you," he said truthfully.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>That seemed to work, because Lavender got her confidence back. "Ron, relax about this game. You said yourself that you love being a goalkeeper. Just enjoy it and leave the bad thoughts behind," she said and Ron nodded like an idiot.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She walked over to him and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. "Call me, Ron," she said, before entering her house.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>End flashback</span>
  </em>
</p><p>The dinner was the first time that day that Ron seemed to relax a bit around Hermione. Indian food always had this affect on him.</p><p>He and Harry preferred the Tandoori chicken, while the girls like the Butter chicken that wasn't too spicy. There were also samosas, unni appams, and naan on the table and Ron was having the time of his life. Lucky for him, nobody brought up the topic of his game again.</p><p>Soon after dinner was over, Harry and Ginny returned to their home. Ron went to wash the dishes while Hermione took a bath.</p><p>Ron always washed the dishes. It was his deal with Hermione. She cooked and he cleaned. Surprisingly, it was something that Ron loved to do. Maybe it was because it kept his hands busy, but it also certainly helped him relax and think more clearly.</p><p>He was trying to understand what was happening to him lately. First, he masturbated thinking about Hermione. Then he had a date with Lavender and all he could think about was Hermione. Now, he was mad at her and jealous of a guy that he hadn't even met.</p><p><em>Wait a minute! I'm not jealous! I'm just hurt that she kept it a secret from me. I'm her best friend and she was supposed to tell me this stuff. Yeah, that's why I'm angry with her, </em>he thought not able to convince himself.</p><p>No matter what was going on with him, he had to find a solution. His relationship with Hermione was in an awkward stage and he was unable to understand how it got there. Now his job was suffering the consequences.</p><p>He didn't know how, but he knew that he needed to make some serious decisions and fast.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Just friends</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>While Hermione was taking a bath, Ron was cleaning the kitchen and trying to figure out what he should do. In every plate and every glass, he saw a different problem he needed to solve. The biggest problem was that he didn't know what the problem was in the first place.</p><p>The only thing he did know was that in the last few days he started to feel differently towards Hermione. Ever since that bloody massage, he just couldn't get her off his mind.</p><p>Of course, he was never oblivious to her beauty. Truth was that he always considered Hermione to be one of the most beautiful girls, if not the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life. He felt that was normal, since it meant that he wasn't blind, but he had definitely never been interested in her.</p><p>But now everything was different. Now, the second he closed his eyes, he would think about her. Every time he was near her, his skin was on fire. Every time she started talking, his eyes would stay focused on her beautiful red lips that he wanted to kiss like mad. Every time that a curl of her bushy hair fell on her face, he battled the urge to use his own hand and put the curl behind her ear.</p><p>Even today, during dinner with Harry and Ginny, he stole glances at Hermione the whole time. He didn't know if what he was doing was right or not, but he couldn't help himself. Hermione was like gravity to him now, and he couldn't resist her pull.</p><p>Of course, he was aware of the tension that had developed between them in the last few days. Ever since her mother came, she changed. It was like she was afraid of him. Now they were like two strangers living under the same roof. Ron thought bitterly that she didn't even feel comfortable enough to tell him about that stupid git she was in love with.</p><p>He wanted to change that and fast. He wanted his best friend back. No more inappropriate thoughts, no more masturbation, and no more awkwardness.</p><p>He knew what he had to do. He would start fighting to keep their friendship alive. From now on, he was going to be just Ron, Hermione's best friend and flatmate.</p><hr/><p>Tonight, Hermione wanted to enjoy her bath. She half-filled the tub, making sure that the water wasn't too hot. She added some bath salts and some rose oil that was giving a lovely sweet fragrance, and she lit up some candles for a soft relaxing light.</p><p>She tied up her hair so it wouldn't get in the way and then carefully climbed into the tub. She let herself relax in the wonderful sensation. She needed a bath, because it always helped her think more clearly. She needed to make some decisions.</p><p>She knew that her relationship with Ron was getting worse. She missed how easy it was to be around him, just laughing, bickering, teasing, and even flirting in a very innocent way.</p><p>Now everything was too awkward. When he was near, her skin was on fire. When he paid her compliment, she blushed like a teenager. When he laughed, she just stared at his smile as if it was the most beautiful sight in the world. She just didn't know how to behave around him anymore.</p><p>What was worst though, was that she felt like Ron was starting to behave differently around her. Over the last few days, he wasn't the same Ron. Something was troubling him and she cursed herself for making him feel so uncomfortable that he couldn't tell her what the problem was.</p><p>She thought that it was probably something work-related, but maybe it had something to do with that girl. Whatever it was, he didn't want to share it with her and that fact hurt her.</p><p>She wanted to ask him what it was, but every time she started a conversation with him lately, it ended up with one of the two being angry. Right now, Ron was angry at her for not telling him that she was in love. Of course, she couldn't tell him that it was Ron that she had fallen in love with. She wasn't that brave.</p><p>Just like in her job, she was just going to settle. It was better to have Ron as a friend than not to have him at all.</p><p>Telling him that she is in love with him could only end in two ways. Ron would say he didn't return her feelings and leave her, because it would be more awkward to live together after that. The second possibility was that, by some miracle, Ron would tell her that he was in love with her too and then they would live happily ever after.</p><p>But she knew the latter was just wishful thinking; it was a dream that would never come true. She was always going to be his bookworm best friend and nothing more. She probably would be the best man at his wedding.</p><p>She felt tears rolling down her cheeks, but she didn't bother to wipe them away. She wanted to cry. She wanted to shed as many tears as she could. It was her first real heartache.</p><p>Half an hour later, Hermione was still in the bathtub saying goodbye to her foolish dreams. She made up her mind. Her friendship with Ron was the most important thing in her life and that was what she was going to fight for. She knew that it would hurt her, but she preferred to have her friend Ron than no Ron.</p><p>After she had made her decision, she finished her bath. From now on, she was going to be just Hermione, Ron's best friend and flatmate.</p><hr/><p>A little while later, Ron finished with the dishes. He saw Hermione come out of the bathroom and sit in the living room to watch something on the TV. He thought now would be a good chance to spend some time with her.</p><p>His plan was to act casual and show Hermione that they would always be best friends. He took a few deep breaths and walked into the living room.</p><p>"Anything good on?" He asked smiling.</p><p>Hermione smiled back. It might hurt her, but she had to start acting like she used to. It was the first time in the last few days that they were spending some time alone and she wanted to enjoy it.</p><p>"Yes, come and sit. There is a very interesting documentary about Plato," Hermione said enthusiastically.</p><p>He sat next to her, but not too close. "I asked if anything good was on," he teased her and she punched his arm.</p><p>"Hey, I'm just kidding. You know how much I love watching documentaries about the Ancient Greeks."</p><p>Hermione was a little disappointed that Ron chose not to lie down and put his head on her lap, like he always did when they were watching TV. <em>One more sign that I'm making him feel uncomfortable</em>, she thought sadly.</p><p>"Hermione, there is a Liverpool-Tot-", she heard him saying but she didn't let him finish the sentence.</p><p>"Don't!" She snapped. She knew what he was trying to do.</p><p>"I'm not going to spend another Saturday night watching football with you," Hermione said more angrily than she had intended.</p><p>Ron was taken aback by her outburst. "Relax, Hermione. If you want to watch your stupid documentary, then just leave it on. You don't have to bite my head off," he snapped back.</p><p>"It's not stupid. Plato was the one who-"</p><p>"I don't care!" Ron yelled.</p><p>Hermione was hurt by Ron's words. <em>Couldn't he just sit with me and watch something that I like? Why was he so mad at me? Yes, I enjoy watching boring documentaries. Was that so bad? </em>She thought and she felt her eyes getting wet.</p><p>Ron noticed that Hermione was on the verge of tears now and he cursed himself for being such an arse. His plan wasn't going too well.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Hermione. I'm stupid. You're right," he said closing the distance between them and hugging her in an attempt to comfort her.</p><p>"Yes, you are," she whispered, hugging him back more tightly.</p><p>She had forgotten what they were arguing about. She didn't want to, but she couldn't help the wonderful sensation she felt when his body was pressed against hers. It was everything she needed. She knew that Ron would leave the room soon if he wasn't going to watch the game, so she knew what she had to do.</p><p>"You can watch the game if you want," she said with a defeated voice, and Ron quickly took the remote control to change the channel.</p><p>"Hermione, you are honestly the most wonderful person I've ever met," Ron said giving her a kiss on the cheek, "and if I'm ever rude to you again –"</p><p>"- I'll know you're back to normal," said Hermione with a smile.</p><p>Ron felt comfortable enough after that and he lay down on the sofa, resting his head in Hermione's lap.</p><p>Hermione had to bite her lip to not let the huge grin on her face become visible. The night was going much better than she had hoped. <em>Here I am on the sofa, with Ron's head on my legs</em>. <em>God, that sounded a little naughty</em>, she thought blushing.</p><p>Ron had his eyes focused on the game, so Hermione could stare at him all she wanted, without embarrassing herself by getting caught.</p><p>She started thinking about her earlier conversation with Ginny and she thought that now was a good opportunity to talk about it with Ron.</p><p>"Ron, what exactly is the Burrow and Weasley Week?" she finally asked.</p><p>Ron didn't turn to look at her, but he answered. "The Burrow is the nickname of our family house. You know, because there were too many <em>weasels</em> living there," he said smiling and Hermione chuckled since she found the nickname very spot on.</p><p>"Where is it?"</p><p>"It's in a small town in Devon, called Ottery St. Catchpole. It's where we grow up. Tell you the truth, I always wanted to take you there, but I never found the right occasion," he said sadly, thinking how many things he hadn't told Hermione about his childhood years.</p><p>The same thoughts were crossing Hermione's mind. She couldn't believe that after all this time, she never asked or he never mentioned that he wasn't from London, but from Devon.</p><p>"Devon is not that close to London. How did you all end up here?" she asked with curiosity.</p><p>"It's because of the twins. It was obvious that they were really good at making fireworks and they had managed to build a good name in the area, so they decided to move to London, because the market was larger."</p><p>"And you all just followed them? How did your brothers' careers involve the rest of you?" she asked, sounding confused.</p><p>"It had everything to do with it, Hermione. Our childhood years were full of love, but no money. We were really poor. Nine people living on only one salary; can you imagine that? Personally, I grew up wearing my brothers' hand-me-downs and playing with their old toys."</p><p>"So what? I grew up with luxuries, but that doesn't mean I had a better life than you."</p><p>"Oh, no. I didn't mean it like that. I'm not ashamed of my parents or my childhood. I just wanted to say that the twins had a chance to make something really big with their lives and my parents wanted to help them any way that they could. They always wanted us to have a better life than theirs."</p><p>"How did you help them?"</p><p>"We helped them by working for them of course. They couldn't afford any employees at first, so we did all the work. My father quit his job to work for them full time. He then took out a second mortgage on the Burrow to get a loan and he gave the money to the twins to buy the location where they wanted to build a small fireworks factory. They didn't sell the Burrow, but we had to move to London because of the distance. Luckily, the first orders started to arrive soon and the rest is history. Weasley Fireworks is now one of the most successful and well-known companies in the U.K.," he said, but Hermione noticed the coldness in his voice.</p><p>It was like he wasn't happy about his brothers' success. She chose to ignore it for now, because she may have misinterpreted his tone.</p><p>"Do your parents still work in the factory?" she asked.</p><p>"No, they retired four years ago. The business was going great and it was time to go back to the Burrow. I can't even imagine how difficult it was for them to leave the home they lived in for more than 25 years for such a long time," he said feeling a little sad for his parents.</p><p>"Is it a big house?" she asked with curiosity.</p><p>"It was, but now it's even bigger. My parents bought the land right next to the house and now it's almost a mansion. They built new rooms, a big garage, a small football field, and a pool. In a way, I think the renovations are a way of trying to make up for all the things they couldn't provide us when we were younger, or maybe they are just trying to lure us to visit them," he joked.</p><p>Hermione gave him a smile. "What about Weasley Week?" She asked and Ron rolled his eyes with annoyance.</p><p>"It's a stupid thing we do every week from Christmas until New Year's Eve, since we moved to London," he said and Hermione remembered what Ginny had told her about how Ron hated going there.</p><p>"Our parents were afraid that once we left the Burrow, we'd stop being a family. So, the last week before we moved to London, our parents asked us to leave everything we were doing and be all together like a family for one week. Bill came from France where he was doing his PhD, Charlie came from Wales where he was with Greenpeace doing God-knows-what, and even Percy came home from college. I suppose my parents loved it, so they made us all promise that the same week every year we'd all come back to celebrate that we are still a loving family," he said huffing.</p><p>"Oh, come on, Ron! I think that your parents had a very sweet idea," she said truthfully.</p><p>"I forgot to mention that if anyone chooses not to go, he doesn't have the right to see them for one year, until the next gathering," Ron said and Hermione's eyes widened.</p><p>"That's sound a little extreme," she said, at a loss for a more appropriate word.</p><p>"A little extreme? It's bloody blackmail, Hermione!" he said and Hermione chuckled.</p><p>"Anyway, this 'blackmail' seemed to work because we all went the next year. Bill had met his wife, Fleur, in the meantime and he brought her with him. My mother seemed to love to have her there, so the next year everybody started to bring their girlfriends and later on Ginny started bringing Harry," Ron said with a hint of bitterness in his voice that didn't go unnoticed by Hermione.</p><p>"What about you? Did you ever bring a girl?" she asked him, although she already knew the answer.</p><p>"No, but this year is going to change that. This year, I'm bringing the kindest, sweetest, smartest and most beautiful girl in the world. I think I will make up for all the years I came alone," he said and Hermione's cheeks were on fire.</p><p>Ron too felt his ears getting red, and he turned his gaze back to the TV again. "Long story short, it's now ten years later and everybody goes back home for the holidays," he said.</p><p>A realization hit Hermione. "How come I didn't know about this? How did you manage to keep it a secret from me all these years?" she asked him, feeling slightly hurt all of a sudden.</p><p>"I didn't keep it a secret intentionally; I guess it never came up. Besides every year you go and spend the Christmas holidays with your parents," he said and Hermione knew that he was right.</p><p>"Wow! I can't believe that we live together for five years and we've never celebrated Christmas or New Year's Eve together. How the hell did that happen?" she asked and Ron considered for a moment how right she was.</p><p>They both looked at each other and then they burst out in a flood of laughter. Neither could believe how they hadn't notice that before. After a few minutes, Ron focused on the game again and Hermione went back to staring at him.</p><p>"Your brothers are all married, right?" she asked him and he nodded.</p><p>"Don't their wives have a problem with this? I mean, it is one thing to spend Christmas or New Year's Eve with your husband's family for one year, but every year? Don't they want some time alone in their own house once in a while?" Hermione asked and Ron gave a small laugh, like she had just told a joke.</p><p>"Hermione, this is my mother we are talking about. She treats her daughters-in-law better than her own children. Not to mention that they owe her for all the times she babysits her grandchildren," he said giving her a meaningful look.</p><p>"So, what do you do all day?" she asked wanting to know more about this.</p><p>Ron shrugged. "The guys watch, play or talk about football and work, and the girls are… well, I don't know what they do. You'll find out, I suppose."</p><p>"That's it? I thought it was more exciting," she said a little disappointed.</p><p>"Hermione, the purpose of Weasley Week is to leave all worries and troubles behind and to be a happy family for one week. But I have to be honest with you; unfortunately for you and me, this year we are going to be the centre of attention. Get ready to be asked tons of questions, to hear ridiculous stories of my youth, to see too many photos of me since I was a baby, and not to mention to be the target of all the pranks that the twins I'm sure are setting out for us," he said and Hermione smiled.</p><p>"I don't think it will be that bad."</p><p>"No, it's going to be worse," he mumbled, but Hermione didn't hear him.</p><p>"What about us? What are we supposed to do?" she asked nervously.</p><p>Ron knew what she was really asking him. "Hermione, relax. It's not like we must have sex in front of them to convince them that we are a happy couple. We'll just be ourselves and act with a little more intimacy," he said and Hermione raised her eyebrows.</p><p>"Define intimacy," she said and Ron blushed.</p><p>"I don't know, Hermione. I suppose we are going to have a lot more physical contact, you know, like holding hands. I guess we might have to …share a few kisses," he stammered.</p><p>Hermione didn't know how it was possible, but she knew she was redder than before.</p><p>"When you say kiss, you mean like …lips on lips?" she asked and Ron laughed.</p><p><em>God, she's so cute when she's acting all innocent</em>, he thought.</p><p>"It wouldn't hurt if we used some tongue too," he teased her.</p><p>"In your dreams," she teased back.</p><p>They both smiled at each other, until Ron once again turned his gaze to the game. Hermione started to wonder if he was doing this on purpose, because he was doing it every time they started harmless flirting.</p><p>"Do you think it would a problem for you?" she heard Ron asking and she was confused.</p><p>"I suppose as much as it is for you," she answered.</p><p>"No. I mean… you are in love. Are you sure you want to continue this farce? I don't want you to feel like you're obligated to come, because of what our parents believe," he said and he turned to look at her again.</p><p>"I could say the same thing about you. You are dating this Lavender girl. Are you sure you want to take me and not her to the Burrow?" she asked him, hoping for a positive answer.</p><p>"I'm not in love with Lavender, Hermione. It was just a date and don't turn this on me. This is about you. If this bloke came and told you that he was sorry, he loves you back, and then asks you to spend the holidays with him, what would you do?" he asked her, afraid of her answer.</p><p>He needed to know how important this guy was in her life. He needed to know if she would choose him and their friendship over this guy.</p><p>"That's not going to happen, Ron," she said laughing with the irony.</p><p>"You didn't answer me," he said with a serious tone in his voice. He was looking at her with such intensity that Hermione found herself once again, captivated by those blue orbs.</p><p>"I want to spend Christmas with you and I only want you next to me when the New Year comes. Does that answer your question?" she said softly, never breaking eye contact.</p><p>"As long as you're sure," he said almost whispering and his eyes fell onto her lips. They were very close. If she bent down just a few inches, their lips could meet for a kiss.</p><p>Hermione seemed to have the same thought. If Ron raised his head just a few inches, they would be close enough for a kiss.</p><p>Unfortunately, neither made a move. Then the phone rang and the moment was gone.</p><p>Ron was the one that answered and Hermione sat on the couch waiting for him. When Ron came back, he had a very concerned look on his face and Hermione was worried.</p><p>"It was my coach. He said he wants to see me tomorrow," Ron said with a defeated voice, like he had just heard the worst news possible.</p><p>Hermione knew what kind of thoughts were going through his mind. "Ron, stop!" she shouted and startled Ron.</p><p>"Don't look at me like that, Ron. Don't look at me like you don't know what I'm talking about. I know you! I know what you're thinking," she shouted again and she walked over to him.</p><p>She gently caressed his cheek with her hand and they got back to their little staring game.</p><p>"Don't let any negative thoughts discourage you. You are a good goalkeeper and your coach knows that. If he didn't, he wouldn't have kept you all these years. He believes in you. I believe in you," she said softly. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, wrapping her hands around his neck and hugging him.</p><p>They stayed like that for a few minutes, until Ron realized that their closeness was causing him to have unwanted side effects in his pants. He broke the hug, claiming that he was tired and needed to sleep. They said goodnight to each other and went to bed. Both of them fell asleep thinking that this night was a good first step to restoring their friendship.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Bench no more</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ron was sitting on the sofa in Coach Snape's living room. It was the first time he had invited him to his house, so Ron knew that he must have wanted to tell him something important. Although he tried hard to follow Hermione's advice, he couldn't relax. He was tense, nervous, and, most of all, scared.</p><p>He tried to take his mind off of the negative thoughts by focusing on some of the paintings that were hanging on the walls. They were beautiful and he wondered if Snape had drawn them. All four of them depicted a beautiful house with a white fence by a lake, an oak besides the house, and a couple hugging outside the house. What made those paintings unique was that each one of them showed a different season.</p><p>His eyes fell to the winter one, because it was by far the most beautiful. The snow had covered the roof of the house and there were snowflakes everywhere. The lake looked frozen and the couple was hugging more tightly than in the other paintings, probably to keep each other warm.</p><p>"You see something you like, Weasley?" He heard his coach asking him.</p><p>Turning around, he gave him a weak smile. "I was just admiring these paintings, sir," he said nervously, rubbing his neck.</p><p>"My wife painted them, before she died."</p><p>Ron knew Snape five years and it was the first time he learned that he was a widower. "Well, they are beautiful. Your wife was a real artist."</p><p>"I know," Snape said, sighing. "Come and sit, Weasley. I didn't invite you here to talk about my wife," he added, motioning for him to sit on the sofa.</p><p>Ron sat awkwardly, afraid of what he was going to hear.</p><p>"Yesterday, I had a talk with our team's doctor. He informed me that Zabini's injury is more serious than we thought. He needs surgery, so he's out for the season," he said and Ron tried to figure out what that might mean about his spot on the team.</p><p>"You have been on this team five years, Weasley. How many games have you played?" Snape asked him.</p><p>"Eighteen games, sir," Ron said and he knew that it wasn't something to be proud of.</p><p>"Eighteen games in five years?" He asked a rhetorical question, with a disappointed look. "How have you managed that, Weasley?"</p><p>"You are my coach. You would know better."</p><p>"I do know better, Weasley. I know that you are a very talented goalkeeper and when you play your best, you are one of the best goalkeepers in the league. The question is why have you been on the bench for the last five years?" He asked Ron and Ron just shrugged.</p><p>"I don't know, sir."</p><p>"I do. It's because you loved the bench too much. Try to deny it all you want, Weasley, but being on the bench was an excuse for you. If you don't play, you don't risk finding out that you aren't good enough to be here; am I right?" Snape said and Ron was breathing deeply trying to swallow the insult.</p><p>"I know I'm being harsh, but it's my honest opinion. I've been running this team for the last sixteen years. I've seen players with no talent making careers because of hard work. I've seen players wasting their real talent, because they never tried hard to improve. You, Weasley, are a bizarre case. You have talent and you work hard, but you are still on the bench. You know why?" He asked him and Ron let him answer.</p><p>"It's because you didn't want it enough. Before every game, I announce the starting eleven. As I do, I look at everyone's face. Everybody is afraid that he is not going to hear their name, but you are afraid that you will. I've seen your face and noticed the sigh of relief every time you're not selected. Call me a liar, Weasley," Snape challenged Ron.</p><p>Ron had listened to what Snape said, and he knew that there was some truth to what he said. He wasn't afraid at first. However, as time went by and he was still on the bench, he started to get worried that he might never have a shot or that if he got a shot, he would screw it up.</p><p>"Of course, I want to play, sir. I just have never been sure if I was ready. I kept thinking <em>'what if this is my only chance and I don't make it?</em>' I always wanted to be a goalkeeper, sir, and maybe I was afraid in the past, but not anymore. I have waited too long and I'm not going to let it get away," Ron said sternly, looking Snape in the eyes and showing him how determined he was.</p><p>Snape looked at Ron with curiosity. "I know you're not married, Weasley, but do you have a fiancée or a girlfriend at the moment?"</p><p>Ron's mind went immediately to Hermione and without knowing why he gave Snape a positive answer. "Yes, sir, I am in a serious relationship," he lied.</p><p>"That explains a lot," Snape said and Ron raised his eyebrows.</p><p>"What do you mean, sir?"</p><p>"Like I said, you loved to be on the bench, but now you are behaving differently. It's like you're playing for a reason. It's like you want to impress someone. From my experience, that means that a player is trying to impress a girl," Snape said shrugging.</p><p>"I don't know about that, sir. She didn't come to the game against Newcastle and I played well, but she did come to the game yesterday and I sucked," Ron said disappointed.</p><p>He really wanted to play well in front of Hermione, but he was so nervous that he probably made a fool of himself.</p><p>"Yes, you did, but that means that you care. That means that you want to play, you want to be good, and you want your girl to be proud of you. That means that you're ready to say goodbye to that awful spot on our lovely bench," Snape said and Ron understood what he was trying to tell him.</p><p>"I decided to not sign another goalkeeper. You'll be our first and Davis will be promoted permanently from the reserves to be our second. Congratulations," Snape said stretching his hand for a handshake.</p><p>Ron tried to act cool, but inside he was already dancing. He rose from his seat and gave Snape a strong handshake.</p><p>"Thank you, sir. I promise you that I'll do my best and you won't regret it," he said with a boost of confidence.</p><p>"That's good," Snape said with a hint of a smile forming on his lips, and Ron smiled feeling proud of himself.</p><p>"Now, get the hell out of my house," he said dropping Ron's hand and pointing to the exit door.</p><p>"Y-yes, sir. I'm g-going," Ron stammered, hurrying for the exit.</p><hr/><p>Hermione was anxiously waiting for Ron to come home. She might have acted confident that Ron's meeting about his job was nothing for him to worry about, but inside she was dreading that meeting. She knew that if Snape told him that he would be on the bench again, it would destroy him.</p><p>Ron had a confidence issue that had grown since he had been on the bench, and Hermione was sure that if they took his chance away from him now, it would break his spirit.</p><p>She heard the keys in the door and she ran to the sofa. She turned the TV on hurriedly and tried to catch her breath and act cool in a matter of seconds.</p><p>"Still watching documentaries about dead Greeks?" She heard him joking.</p><p>"Oh, Ron. I didn't hear you come in," she said trying to act casual, but Ron just raised his eyebrows and gave her the 'yeah, right' look.</p><p>"Alright. I wasn't watching TV. I was waiting for you to come and tell me what happened. Sorry for caring!"</p><p>As she turned to him, Hermione noticed that Ron had a huge grin on his face. "Judging from that stupid smile on your face, I would say that I was right and you heard good news?" She asked hopefully.</p><p>"No, the news wasn't good," he said and Hermione's eyes widened and she put her hand to her mouth.</p><p><em>Why? Why are these people torturing him? Why are they taking away his dream? </em>She thought bitterly. She went to him and hugged him.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Ron. I know how much pain you are in right now, but you know what? You shouldn't give up. If they don't want you, you shouldn't want them. You'll find a better spot on another team, and play your best whenever you face them. That Snape guy can... fuck off," she said and Ron was shocked.</p><p>He rarely heard Hermione swear and he loved it everytime she did. It was a pleasant surprise to see that under the façade of the perfect girl, there was a passionate woman ready to stand up for her friends. He tried really hard not to laugh at hearing her swear.</p><p>He cupped her face with his hands and Hermione shivered. "Hermione, look at me," he said and Hermione's eyes found his.</p><p>"You didn't let me finish. The news wasn't good. It was great!" He said and Hermione kept staring at him with excitement.</p><p>"Snape told me that Zabini is out for the season and he decided not to sign another goalkeeper. I'm off the bench for good," he said and Hermione shrieked with joy.</p><p>She was so happy for him that she jumped on him so hard that it caused both of them to fall down onto the floor. They both had their backs on the floor right next to each other and began laughing. They stayed like that for a few minutes with huge grins on their faces, until their laughter started to fade away.</p><p>"I'm so happy for you, Ron," Hermione said softly, turning her head to face him.</p><p>Ron turned to see Hermione and it was then that they both realized how close their faces were. They were only a few inches apart and they could practically feel each other's breath. They were both just staring at each other. Ron didn't know why but he moved a little closer to Hermione and she followed him by closing the distance between them even more.</p><p>They both closed their eyes. Suddenly, they felt each other's skin as their cheeks and noses were touching softly. They only needed for one of them to take the initiative by leaning in slightly to kiss the other. Their skin was burning with desire, their breathing was fast, and they were both aware of what was going to happen.</p><p>The phone rang once again, interrupting them. They both opened their eyes and moved away from each other very quickly. Hermione went to pick up the phone, while Ron went hurriedly to his room, cursing Alexander Graham Bell under his breath for his stupid invention.</p><p>Hermione went to her room soon after cursing her mother for her awful timing. <em>She only calls once a week and she chooses the absolute worst time! God, how I hate her right now</em>, she screamed to herself, before she collapsed on her bed punching the pillows.</p><p>The realization that Ron was actually the one who initiated their moment hit her like a brick. She had an excuse for her behavior - she was in love with him. But what about Ron? Why had he acted like he wanted to kiss her? Was it possible that the fall might have given him a minor concussion and he didn't know what he was doing? Could she be wrong?</p><p><em>But I felt it. I saw the desire in his eyes and I felt the warmth of his breath and the gentle touch of his face on mine. How could I have misunderstood that?</em> She asked herself.</p><p>
  <em>Should I ask him? What if that ruins our friendship? I made a promise never to let my stupid feelings get in the way of our friendship, but what if he likes me too? What if he's waiting for me to make the first move? What if… Stop imagining things, Hermione! Once again, you just misunderstood his actions. He doesn't like you like that! Deal with it!</em>
</p><p>She decided to let this go for now. It wouldn't do any good, and nothing even happened. It could have, but it didn't and that's all that mattered to Hermione.</p><p>Nobody mentioned the incident later at lunch. They were eating like they normally did, joking, laughing and talking about anyone and anything. That afternoon, they decided to go see a movie. Later, they ate dinner at an Italian restaurant and also made a stop for ice cream. They were teasing and laughing as they walked home, and at some point without realizing it, they were holding hands like a real couple.</p><p>They both went to bed knowing that it had been one of the best days they had shared in a long time. They didn't allow their minds to drift away to the inappropriate thoughts they had for each other. They were just enjoying their friendship.</p><p>Ron was almost asleep when a sudden realization hit him. Hermione wanted him to kiss her. He wasn't mistaken. He felt it. He knew she wanted him to kiss her. He saw her eyes when the phone rang and had seen how frustrated she was.</p><p>
  <em>I can't believe it! How come I didn't realize that before? It wasn't just me! She wanted to! What does that mean? Does she like me too or was it something about that moment? And what about that other guy?</em>
</p><p>He jumped from his bed ready to go to Hermione's room and ask her, without knowing what he was going to do when he saw her. He saw the door of her room wasn't completely closed and he knocked on it gently.</p><p>"What do you want?" He heard Hermione asking him from behind, as she was coming out of the kitchen.</p><p>"Jesus, Hermione!" He cried turning around to see her, obviously startled.</p><p>Hermione gave a little laugh. "I'm sorry, Ron. I didn't mean to scare you."</p><p>Ron noticed that once again she was wearing the cute pajamas that he loved."I'm sorry I thought you were in your room."</p><p>"I was thirsty and I went to get a drink of water. What is it that you want," she asked him, walking closer to him.</p><p>It was then that Ron realized how stupid his plan was. He just marched straight up there with absolutely no idea of what to do or say.</p><p>
  <em>What am I going to do now? Am I going to ask her if she fancies me, and hope for a positive answer? Didn't I promise myself that I would treat Hermione only as a best friend? Romance could destroy us, especially if it is one-sided. How can I escape now?</em>
</p><p>"I just wanted to tell you to not wake me up tomorrow. I'm going to read some defensive strategies and I'll probably get to sleep very late," he said nervously, after giving such a lame excuse.</p><p>"Oh, okay," she said a little disappointed. She hated when she was alone at breakfast. It didn't happen often; When Millwall was playing an away game, Ron would leave very early in the morning or the night before and she always hated it. She realized that when she did not see him in the morning, her whole day would turn out badly.</p><p>"Hmm… goodnight, Ron," she said leaning in and kissing him on the cheek, before going to her room.</p><p>"Goodnight," Ron whispered, before going back to his room feeling defeated. He lay down on his bed cursing himself.</p><p>
  <em>Idiot! You made a promise and you almost ruined everything because you weren't thinking. You act like a horny teenager, and because of it, you are risking losing your best friend. Today we had a great time together as friends and instead of protecting that, you want to destroy it. You stopped thinking for five minutes and you ended up outside her bedroom? What the hell is wrong with you?</em>
</p><p>Later that night, Hermione was still on her bed awake, trying to get some sleep. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get the picture of her and Ron on the floor earlier off her mind.</p><p>Besides that, her encounter with Ron when she went to get a drink of water was very strange. For some reason, she didn't believe his excuse. Something in his voice made her believe that he wanted to tell her something, but he was afraid.</p><p>
  <em>Could it be that he wanted to talk to me about what has been troubling him over the last few days? If that's the case, then why he didn't tell me? He knows he can trust me and today we had such a great time with no awkwardness between us. It was like old times. Why is he still afraid to talk to me? Maybe he's afraid that I won't understand or maybe it is something to do with me, but he doesn't know how to tell me. Maybe I should just ask him. Oh, God, help me clear my mind and let me sleep! Please.</em>
</p><p>With all these thoughts racing through her mind, she didn't get much sleep. The next morning was very lonely for her. She prepared exactly what she would have if Ron had joined her for breakfast, like he did every day. His empty seat though caused Hermione to lose her appetite.</p><p>She got dressed and ready to leave, but something inside her was pushing her to go and see him. She stood outside his bedroom and gently opened the door. She saw his sleeping figure and a smile appeared immediately on her face.</p><p>Her thoughts from last night came to the forefront of her mind and she sighed. <em>How can I make him open up to me and tell me what's troubling him?</em> She thought to herself.</p><p>She walked over to him and softly caressed his hair without waking him up. His light snore sounded like music to her ears. She leaned in and she kissed his forehead. "See you later, handsome," she whispered and then she turned around and left. It wasn't ideal, but it was enough to make her feel better and ready for the day ahead.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Are you ready?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ron woke up with a smile on his face. He didn't know why, but he had a warm feeling inside him, which was something that usually only Hermione could make him feel.</p><p><em>Hermione. She must have left by now</em>, he thought sighing.</p><p>He took a shower and then went to the kitchen where he saw that breakfast was on the table, carefully covered so it would not go bad. He noticed a piece of paper in the centre of the table. He picked it up and read…</p><p>
  <em>There is tea on the table, but there is orange juice in the fridge if you prefer. I'll be home late tonight, because I have some paperwork to finish. I'm going to rent a movie for us to watch this evening.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Have a brilliant day.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Your gorgeous/genius best friend</em>
</p><p>
  <em>XXX</em>
</p><p>Ron smiled after reading the note, and then he gently folded the paper and put it in his pocket. It was moments like this when he knew that he made the right decision to ignore his newfound feelings and focus on his friendship with Hermione.</p><p>It was late afternoon and Ron was in the locker room with some of his teammates after a heavy training day. Most of his teammates had already left, but he was getting ready to leave very slowly. He knew that Hermione would be home late and he hated to be at home alone. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that since he had grown up with eight other people, he was never alone in his childhood house.</p><p>"Fancy a pint? Neville, Travis, and I are going to the pub," he heard Seamus asking him, tapping him on the shoulder.</p><p>"Nah, I'm knackered. I'm surprised how you're not," Ron answered curiously.</p><p>"Irish are never too tired for drinking," Seamus stated matter-of-factly.</p><p>"I suppose," Ron said with a small laugh. Ron watched Seamus, and he wondered if he was the right person to talk over what he felt about Hermione. Harry was his best friend, but he felt uncomfortable talking to him about Hermione. On the other hand, Seamus was a good friend and he was the ladies-man of the team, so he had to know more about women.</p><p>"Hey, Seamus, can I ask you something?" Ron said nervously.</p><p>"Sure."</p><p>"Have you ever fallen in love with someone?"</p><p>"Why are you asking?" Seamus asked back, with raised eyebrows.</p><p>"I just have these... feelings lately, but it's wrong. I shouldn't be having these thoughts," he said awkwardly and Seamus sat right next to him, putting a hand on his arm.</p><p>"Listen, Ron. I would be lying if I said that I didn't find you attractive, but seriously you're not my type," Seamus said, trying to suppress a laugh.</p><p>"Git," Ron said, punching him in the arm.</p><p>"Alright, I'm just taking the piss out of you," Seamus joked. "Now seriously, what's going on?"</p><p>"I like this girl, but I'm not sure if she likes me back. The problem is that she's a good friend and I don't want to jeopardize our friendship. You know what I mean? Actually, to be honest, the biggest problem is that I don't know what I feel, because I've never been in love before. Sure, I've had girlfriends, but I never experienced those special feelings that you're supposed to feel when you're in love. Now, when I'm close to her, I can't control myself. My heart beats like crazy. I want so badly to hold her and kiss her and-," Ron stopped when he noticed that Seamus was looking at him, with amusement.</p><p>"I know I'm barmy," Ron said sighing.</p><p>"No, you're not. You are just intimidated by this girl. It happens to guys all the time," Seamus said shrugging.</p><p>Ron thought about yesterday's events; he remembered that for a moment he thought that Hermione wanted him to kiss her.</p><p>"Seamus, how do you know if a girl likes you?"</p><p>"She takes her skirt off. Although that's not always true. Some of them are prudes so they just fall on their knees, take my pants off, and give me an interview," he said winking and Ron rolled his eyes.</p><p>"Can you just be serious for five minutes?" Ron snapped and Seamus laughed.</p><p>"Listen, Ron. I fall in love every week with a different girl. I'm probably the last person you should seek advices about these kind of things. If you want a more sophisticated answer, I would tell you that if you fancy the girl, do something about it. Like I said, I don't know much about love, but I know that loving a person can never be a bad thing," he said in a serious tone. Ron had to agree and silently wondered how Seamus was capable of saying something deep.</p><p>"So, you're saying to go for it?" He asked, but Seamus shook his head.</p><p>"All I'm saying is that love is not something to dread. If you really don't want to lose her friendship, then first make sure about her feelings. My advice is that if you think that there is even a slim chance for her to fancy you too, then don't hold back."</p><p>"But what if she doesn't and I misunderstand it and ruin our friendship. Is it worth the risk?" Ron asked and Seamus just smiled.</p><p>"Love is always worth the risk," Seamus said giving him a final pat on the shoulders before walking off and leaving Ron in deep thought.</p><hr/><p>Hermione was eating some popcorn, trying to ignore the heat on her face. Ron was resting his head on her lap, watching the 'Love Actually' DVD that Hermione had rented.</p><p>"You should have told me that you were going to rent a Hugh Grant film, so I could have made sure to drink some coffee first," Ron said teasing her.</p><p>"It's not that boring. The girls in the office said it's really funny," she lied. The truth was that the minute she went into the DVD store and saw the title, she knew she had to rent it. The idea of falling in love at Christmas was something she could easily relate to right now.</p><p>"Well, if the girls said it…"</p><p>"Ron, I had a really hard day at work. I had to go to so many places and my feet are killing me. Can't we just watch the movie without your snide remarks?" She asked him and Ron rolled his eyes.</p><p>"Where is the fun in that?" He said and a smile appeared on Hermione's face.</p><p>"Are your feet really in pain?" She heard him asking and she nodded.</p><p>"Okay, come here," he said as he rose from his spot. He positioned Hermione to lie down on the sofa and he went to the other end where her feet were. He gently took them and put them on his lap. He removed her bunny slippers and pink cotton socks, and he started to massage her feet; this caused Hermione's body to shiver.</p><p>"What are you doing?" She stammered blushing.</p><p>"What does it look like? I'm giving you a foot rub. That way you can see your precious Hugh and I can perform my good deed for the day," he said with confidence, although inside he was burning with desire. Her feet were so beautiful. The skin was smooth and her toenails were perfectly polished; Ron felt an undeniable urge to suck them.</p><p>"Thank you, Ron, for being my little slave. I knew I could always count on your help," she said trying to look cool with the situation.</p><p>"Anything for you, my beautiful mistress," he teased her with a seductive voice.</p><p>Hermione let a soundless moan and she had to bite her lips to restrain herself. She knew that Ron was only teasing her, but this harmless flirting with sexual hints was almost unbearable.</p><p>"Our firm got a big case and I'm going to have a busy schedule until Christmas," she said, trying desperately to change the subject.</p><p>"Please tell me that you got time off for the holidays," he said, worried that Hermione might be backing off now from their plan.</p><p>"Of course, I did, Ron. Don't worry about Christmas holidays. We are going to be together with your family and my parents. I'm actually looking forward to it," she said truthfully with excitement in her voice.</p><p>Yes, the issue about her and Ron was in the forefront, but she really wanted to spend some time with his family. Her parents were never very demonstrative about Christmas spirit, but she knew that the Weasleys were the exact opposite. They enjoyed life and were always happy, and she was looking forward to feeling what it was like to be a part of a big, loving family.</p><p>"You're excited? Well, they say ignorance is bliss," Ron joked and Hermione chuckled.</p><p>She wondered often why Ron was never fond of his family reunions. Every time she was with him at a family gathering, he was always very distant and cold with everyone, especially with his mother. She wanted to ask him, but she had no idea how to start a conversation like that.</p><p>"Bloody hell, that's Coach Snape!" Ron said suddenly and his eyes were wide open looking at the TV screen.</p><p>"What are you talking about, Ron? That's Alan Rickman. He is a very well-known actor," Hermione said looking at Ron with amusement.</p><p>"Are you sure? He's like my coach's twin brother," Ron said with a shocked face.</p><p>"Unless Rickman works as a part-time football coach for Millwall, using a fake name, yes I'm sure."</p><p>Ron gave a small laugh. The image of Snape playing in a romantic film conjured a very funny image in his mind. He looked down at Hermione's feet and he knew that he was rubbing them for too long.</p><p>"I think you're okay now," he said and Hermione nodded with a cute smile. Ron was debating whether he should lie down again on her lap or just stay there. Hermione though seemed to have thought up a third option; she motioned for him to get closer to her and when he did, she snuggled into his chest.</p><p>Ron tried to keep himself calm. Right now, Hermione's head was over his heart and she could easily notice how nervous he was by his fast heartbeat. He turned his gaze to the TV screen, hoping to distract himself.</p><p>That didn't help much because at that moment some guy was kissing Keira Knightley and Ron couldn't help but feel jealous. The scene of two young people kissing in the snow, just enjoying their love and completely free from fears or doubts, caused Ron to start thinking about what it would be like if it was he kissing Hermione in the snow.</p><p>Hermione wasn't looking at the TV. She was knackered. She was also aware that sooner or later, she would fall asleep on the sofa, and she decided that the best cushion was Ron's broad chest. She knew what she was doing. She didn't snuggle with him for nothing. Sure, she wasn't going to do anything about her feelings, but a little physical contact would not be a bad thing. She stayed like that for a while with her body glued to his; his smell was hypnotizing her senses and the beat of his heart lulled her to sleep.</p><p>Ron was watching the movie with a sudden interest. It wasn't that bad and it had some very hilarious moments. When his eyes fell on Hermione's sleeping figure, he smiled. He knew she was tired, but he wasn't expecting her to crash on him. He stayed there with her, because he didn't want her to wake up alone and feel guilty for falling asleep and leaving him to watch the movie alone.</p><p>Of course, another reason to stay in that position was the wonderful feeling of Hermione's body on his. Her hair smelled like roses due to her shampoo, and it was almost intoxicating. He caressed her hair gently and slowly he followed Hermione into the land of dreams.</p><p>Surprisingly, the next morning wasn't very awkward. Nobody mentioned anything and they both treated it as if nothing unusual had happened. Who hasn't fallen asleep watching a movie anyway? They had a nice breakfast where they joked about the Snape/Rickman incident and generally, things were as they were supposed to be.</p><p>The next two weeks went by quickly. Every day, Hermione spent almost the entire day at work; she usually came home very tired. Ron would give her a foot rub, which seemed to be their new innocent foreplay. Meanwhile, Ron was doing extra practices to help him improve his reflexes. His performance during the next two games was great and he felt proud knowing that Hermione was in the stands, watching him.</p><p>It seemed that focusing on their friendship was the best thing for their relationship. Not that they were ignoring their newfound romantic feelings they had for each other. On the contrary, they were getting stronger and stronger, but since neither of them was brave enough to do anything about them, they were still stuck in the best friend zone.</p><p>The Christmas holidays arrived, and now they were on their way to Devon. Ron was driving his Mini and Hermione was in the passenger seat, looking out the window and enjoying the view. She had never visited this part of England and she loved how beautiful the scenery was. She looked at Ron, and thought that maybe it was a good time to talk about the holiday.</p><p>"You think your mother will like me?" She asked him although she already knew the answer. She just wanted to know what Ron believed.</p><p>"Hermione, my mother already knows you."</p><p>"Ron, I meant do you think she is going to like me as your girlfriend and a potential daughter-in-law," she asked, smiling with the prospect.</p><p>"Of course, she will. You are the most wonderful person I know. There is no chance for my family or mother, for that matter, to not see that," he said and Hermione blushed.</p><p><em>God, why did he always say sweet things like that? Is he trying to kill me?</em> She thought, bitting her lips.</p><p>Hermione stared at him while he was driving. She noticed that he looked very relaxed with the situation. She was so nervous that she was sweating and he looked like they were just making a routine trip to the supermarket. <em>Why wasn't he nervous? Didn't he worry about the teasing or the pranks from the twins? </em>Which reminded Hermione…</p><p>"Ron, who knows about us not being a real couple?" She asked nervously.</p><p>"Ginny and Harry."</p><p>"What about the twins or your other brothers?" She asked him, but he shook his head.</p><p>"Everybody in my family, except Ginny and Harry, believes that we are a real couple. I told the twins the other day that I've been dating you for the last two years. I said that I never told them, because I wanted to avoid their teasing."</p><p>"And they bought that?" She asked him surprised.</p><p>"They had to, when Harry and Ginny confirmed it," he said with a victorious look.</p><p>"You asked Harry and Ginny to lie to the twins, so they can leave us alone?" She asked impressed.</p><p>"Brilliant, huh? Now we can be sure that they won't try to blackmail us or do anything sneaky, like they enjoy doing," Ron said and Hermione had to agree. The fewer people who knew the truth, the better for them.</p><p>"My mother will be here in two days. She and Dad wanted to spend Christmas at home. I asked them if they wanted us to go with them, but they declined. They wanted me to be with you on Christmas Day at the Burrow," she said and Ron let out a sigh of relief.</p><p>"That's good. I mean good for our situation, and not necessarily good to spend Christmas away from your family," he said awkwardly. He really wanted to spend Christmas with her for the first time and maybe kiss her under the mistletoe.</p><p>"Yes, Ron. I know what you mean."</p><p>Hermione turned her gaze away from Ron and back to outside of her window again. She tried to imagine what it would be like, if one day Ron could see her like she saw him, or what it would be like if one day they would go visit his family like a real couple. Was that too much to ask for?</p><p>Ron's voice interrupted her train of thought. "Welcome to Ottery St. Catchpole," he said showing her the big welcome sign of the village.</p><p>Hermione began looking everywhere. Her excitement at seeing Ron's hometown was so great, that she couldn't stop asking Ron all kinds of questions. She wanted to know everything about it, but mostly she wanted Ron to show her all of it.</p><p>After the twentieth question from Hermione, Ron pleaded with her to stop asking him any more questions and he promised that he would give her a tour soon. Hermione giggled, but she couldn't help but feel thrilled with the prospect.</p><p>The car took a left turn and began to pass by a field of white lilies. Ron stopped the car, and he went out to pick a lily. He came back to the car and Hermione gave him a curious look. Ron was nervous about what he was going to do, but he couldn't help himself.</p><p>He looked at Hermione, and he gently took the lily and put it behind her ear. Hermione was breathless from the feeling of Ron's hands on her skin. Ron was having the same problem seeing how beautiful she looked with the flower in her hair.</p><p>"Now, you look perfect," he said, almost as a whisper.</p><p>Hermione closed her eyes to savor the moment. Ron was always saying nice things to her, but perfect? She wasn't perfect. She knew she wasn't perfect, but hearing Ron say it gave her a wonderful feeling.</p><p>The car started to roll again. They both sat in silence until Ron announced that they had reached their destination. Hermione eyes widened and she stared with awe. Ron had told her that the Burrow was now like a mansion, but that was clearly the understatement of the year.</p><p>A lopsided colorful sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read, <em>The Burrow</em>, and Hermione smiled at that. The beautiful garden with many different types of flowers was such a welcoming sight. Tall trees stood firm all around the property and the beautiful lake right next to the house was making the scenery almost heavenly.</p><p>In the centre of the property was a beautiful, three-story tall, white house. It wasn't the biggest house Hermione had ever seen, but it was definitely the most beautiful. She couldn't wait to see the inside of the house and especially Ron's room.</p><p>From her window, Hermione saw some ginger kids playing in a big inflatable playground; next to them, there was a pool closed for the season. It was obvious that the Burrow was full of life during the holidays.</p><p>Hermione felt jealous of Ron for a moment. She loved her parents, but Christmas holidays were always so quiet and lonely. She couldn't imagine how many adventures and wonderful stories Ron had from his childhood years. Growing up with so many people might have been difficult, but it definitely couldn't be boring.</p><p>Ron parked the car in the garage. He tried to play it cool, but truth was that he was so nervous he was sweating. He wasn't sure he could do it now. In theory, things looked easy, but the idea of finally being here, and having to lie to everyone was making his hands shake. He turned to look at Hermione and she looked back and smiled.</p><p><em>God, she has the most beautiful smile in the world</em>, he thought. Hermione's smile was the necessary boost of confidence he needed. Smiling back, they both opened their doors and got out of the car.</p><p>At that moment, a very huge sized man with a thick beard came to greet them.</p><p>"Ronny, my boy," he said and Ron hugged him.</p><p>"Hey, Hagrid! Good to see you," Ron said and Hermione wondered who that man was. He couldn't be a Weasley; that's for sure.</p><p>"Hermione, this is Hagrid. He is our gardener/mechanic/electrician and whatever else you can think of. If you have a problem, you go to Hagrid. Hagrid, this is Hermione, my girlfriend," Ron said so naturally that it surprised him.</p><p>"Nice to meet you, sir," Hermione said, shaking hands with Hagrid, but inside she was over the moon<em>.</em></p><p><em>I can't believe that he just called me his girlfriend. It sounds so perfect. I'm Ron's girlfriend,</em> she thought looking at her shoes, trying to hide her blushing.</p><p>"Great to meet yeh, Hermione," Hagrid said. "Now allow me to carry yer luggage an' yeh two can go into the house. Yer mother is with yer Aunt Muriel an' yeh know what that means," Hagrid said, giving Ron a meaningful look.</p><p>Ron groaned in frustration. "What is she doing here? <em>Hell</em> was too boring for her and she decided to drop by and torture us?" He said sighing and Hermione looked at him confused.</p><p>"Ron, is everything alright?"</p><p>"Yeah, everything is bloody perfect," he said with sarcasm, running his right hand through his hair. "It's just that my aunt apparently decided to spend Christmas with us and nobody can stand her. She's the meanest person on the Earth," he said and he truly believed it.</p><p>"Do me a favor and don't take anything she says seriously. It's her goal to make people feel miserable like her, but like I said don't listen to her, alright?" He pleaded with her and Hermione nodded.</p><p>They walked to the front door, both feeling awkward suddenly. They were going to do it. There was no turning back. When the door opens, they were going to be a real couple for one whole week.</p><p>They both turned to look at each other simultaneously, like they were both thinking the same thing.</p><p>Ron stretched his hand out to her. "Are you ready?" He asked her with a smile that Hermione returned.</p><p>She took his hand and held it tightly, with their fingers interlocked.</p><p>"I'm ready, Ron," she said staring at him lovingly in the eyes. For a moment, she thought she might be too obvious, but Ron just smiled back and then he pressed the doorbell.</p><p><em>Okay, this is it,</em> they both thought.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Hit the ball</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Oh, my children, you came!" said Mrs. Weasley after she opened the door, smothering both of them in a tight hug.</p><p>"Hermione, I'm so happy to see you again. Come inside," she said motioning for them to enter the house, without letting them get a word in edgewise.</p><p>If the outside of the Burrow was beautiful, the inside was simply lovely and welcoming. She was pleasantly surprised when she saw that the furnishings were simple. Many of them looked old, and Hermione knew they must have been the same ones that the family grew up with. The handmade curtains and the embroidered cushions with little daisies on them were other details that showed that the house was full of love and affection and not money.</p><p>In the living room, there were an old woman and a young woman holding a child. The young woman was a gorgeous blonde and she had a giggling little baby girl with red curls on her lap.</p><p>The older woman had dark hair and a grumpy look on her face. She glared at her and Ron and then she turned her back to them, like they were inferior to her. <em>That must be the lovely Aunt Muriel</em>, she thought.</p><p>"Hermione, dear, you have no idea how happy I am to welcome you as a member of our family now," Molly said giving her a hug again.</p><p>This time though, Hermione hugged her too, very tightly. She had promised herself to give Mrs. Weasley a hug, but even if she hadn't, hearing her calling her a member of their family was enough reason to do it.</p><p>"Nice to see you again, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione responded feeling a little self-conscious. Her cheeks were constantly flushed, and Ron could not help smiling every time he looked at her.</p><p>"Oh, dear, you're family now. You can call me mum or Molly, if you prefer," said Molly who hugged Ron this time. "You made me wait so long, but thank goodness you've found a wonderful woman. I'm so proud of you."</p><p>Neither Ron nor Hermione said anything. They both had very flustered faces and they avoided looking at each other.</p><p>"Is dad here?"</p><p>"He'll come home later. He said he had to do some late Christmas shopping, but I know that was just an excuse to get away from your aunt," Molly said whispering and Ron chuckled.</p><p>"I don't blame him," Ron whispered back, but Molly gave him a meaningful glare. "Fine, I'll be polite to her. I promise."</p><p>"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I want to see if everything is alright for you to settle into your room," she said, climbing upstairs.</p><p>Hermione noticed the blonde woman with the little baby walking towards them with a huge smile on her face.</p><p>"Ron, eet is so good to see you," the blonde said as she stood with the child in her arms giving Ron a kiss on the cheek.</p><p>"Fleur, it's good to see you, too. God, you look more beautiful every time I see you," he said and Hermione immediately felt a pang of jealousy in her stomach.</p><p>This woman was really beautiful and she couldn't blame Ron for pointing it out, but still it hurt her a little that he complimented other women when she was with him.</p><p>"Allow me to introduce you. Hermione, this is Fleur Delacour Weasley. She is the wife of my brother Bill. Fleur, this is Hermione Granger, my girlfriend," he said and Hermione felt like she was in heaven again.</p><p>It was amazing how a little word like 'girlfriend' could affect her like that. All the jealousy towards Fleur was gone and she regained her confidence and her hopes.</p><p>"Nice to meet you, 'Ermione," she said, hugging her carefully with one arm and kissing her cheek; Hermione hugged her back.</p><p>Fleur seemed like a very nice girl and unfortunately, Hermione had never met her before this. She had met Bill a couple of times at other Weasley gatherings, but it was the first time she had met his wife. She was beautiful and she loved her French accent.</p><p>"Hello, Fleur. It's nice to meet you, too. Who is this little princess?" She asked her looking dreamily at the little baby. She was so cute with that red hair and those crystal blue eyes. <em>She is definitely a Weasley</em>, she thought.</p><p>"Zis is little Gabrielle," said Fleur.</p><p>"It's a beautiful name."</p><p>"I named her after my sister, who died ten years ago in a car accident," Fleur said and her face fell.</p><p>Hermione felt badly for her. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know that," she said and Fleur gave her a smile.</p><p>"Don't worry. Eet happened a long time ago, but sometimes I just…" She couldn't finish her sentence, but there was no need.</p><p>"Well, she's really beautiful. I wish I had a baby like this little beauty," she said without thinking, pinching the baby's cheeks gently.</p><p>"Don't tell me. Tell zat to your man," she said winking.</p><p>Hermione blushed and she glanced at Ron who was looking at his shoes all of sudden with great interest. Hermione knew he felt awkward, because his ears were redder than ever.</p><p>"Where is Bill?" Ron asked Fleur, changing the subject.</p><p>"Bill is outside at the playground with Percy and Audrey watching over Victoire and Daniel."</p><p>Hermione had already met them when Ron was in the hospital. Ron had told her that they didn't visit often; Percy and Audrey work together in a big multinational company and they couldn't usually find time to attend family gatherings. <em>Apparently, that doesn't apply to Christmas holidays</em>, Hermione thought.</p><p>Ron grabbed Hermione's hand suddenly and he gave her a nod to follow him. They walked to where his aunt was sitting, while his aunt acted as if she hadn't seen them coming at all.</p><p>"Hello, Aunt Muriel. How are you?" Ron said with a fake smile that Hermione noticed. His aunt didn't seem to bother wasting a glare at them. She just took another sip of her green tea.</p><p>"Yeah, it's good to see you too. This is Hermione, my girlfriend," he said and it was the first time that his aunt turned to look at them.</p><p>"Ronald, are you still an unsuccessful representative of that barbaric sport called football?" She asked him with mockery and Hermione frowned. <em>This woman was really mean</em>.</p><p>"Yes, but I'm working on it," Ron said, cursing her under his breath.</p><p>Hermione saw Aunt Muriel turning and looking at her and she froze. For a moment, she thought that she was going to torture her. "Your hair looks like a bird's nest. Didn't you look in the mirror before you came here? Did you think that a lily would make you look beautiful and people wouldn't notice that awful haircut?" She said with venom in her voice, and her comments left Hermione on the verge of tears.</p><p>She had no idea how a person could be so mean as to say things without caring about other people's feelings. Her hair was always something she hated dealing with. She tried so many times to change her haircut, but her hair was frizzy by nature and nothing ever worked. In the end, she decided that it was pointless and she just had to learn to live with it.</p><p>"Come on, Hermione," Ron said clearly angry, grabbing her by the arm and walking away from his aunt who continued to sit in the living room drinking her tea.</p><p>They headed outside to see the others. Before they stepped outside, Ron stopped and turned to Hermione who was looking down. She was obviously hurt by his aunt's comment. He lifted her chin gently with his hand. They stared at each other and Ron saw that Hermione was fighting to keep the tears from falling.</p><p>"Hermione, what did I tell you? Ignore her. That's what she wants. She wants to make us feel miserable, but we won't play her game, alright?" He said and Hermione nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat.</p><p>"Now let's go see the others and forget about her," he said stretching his hand out to her and she took it immediately.</p><p>They walked outside hand in hand and Percy was the first person to see them.</p><p>"Ron. Hermione. How are you?" He asked giving them each a small hug.</p><p>"We're fine, Percy," Hermione said with a smile. Audrey came to greet them too.</p><p>"Oh my, Hermione, it's been so long," she said, hugging Hermione.</p><p>"I know, Audrey," Hermione answered, hugging Audrey back.</p><p>"You too, Ron" Audrey said giving Ron a hug.</p><p>"Sorry, Audrey, but we've been busy with work. You know how it is," he said and Audrey gave them a sad nod.</p><p>"Wow, Daniel looks so much bigger now. And Victoire too," Ron said looking at the kids playing in the playground.</p><p>"Relax, Ron. It's not even a month since the last time you saw them."</p><p>Bill came over soon after to greet them too. "Hermione, always a pleasure," he said with a smile and Hermione smiled back.</p><p>"Good to see you, Bill. Victoire looks so pretty," she said looking at the little redheaded girl.</p><p>"Thank you, Hermione. I'm glad she inherited my natural beauty and not her mother's," he joked, although Hermione didn't laugh. Bill was a really hot guy. Not as hot as Ron in her mind, but still hot.</p><p>"I saw little Gabrielle, too. Can I adopt her? She is such a cute little baby," she said truthfully.</p><p>"No, you can't adopt her, but our little brother over here can grant your wish. What do you say, Ronniekins? Are you ready to be a father?" Bill asked winking. For the second time in a few minutes, Ron had to look down at his shoes.</p><p>Hermione felt embarrassed about the comment too, and she thought that going inside was a good way to change the subject.</p><p>"Ron, why don't we go in to see our room? I'm very excited to see where you spent all your childhood years," Hermione said and Ron thankfully agreed.</p><p>They walked back inside the house holding hands much to Hermione's pleasure, and Ron led her upstairs to the second floor,. <em>Oh, I can't believe that I'll have to climb all those stairs up and down every day</em>.</p><p>Ron felt nervous as they climbed the stairs. Hermione wasn't the first girl who would visit his room, but she was definitely the most important. He wasn't sure if she would like to stay there. There were many new rooms with more space and better furnishings, but he had asked for his room. It would feel too weird for him to sleep anywhere else.</p><p>They stood outside his bedroom door and Ron turned to look at Hermione. She gave him a sweet smile, and he took that as a sign that he should relax and just open the door. Truth be told, Hermione was excited to see his room. Having lived together for five years, she knew him well enough to guess that his room was probably all red and white with Arsenal's posters everywhere.</p><p>The excitement grew more because he already had been in her childhood room when they had visited her parents, but it was the first time she would see his. He said he was surprised how much he learned about her by just seeing her room. For example, he learned that Hermione loved to play piano when he saw tons of piano sheets in her desk.</p><p>When they went to her father's office where the piano was, she tried to teach him how to play Fur Elise by Beethoven and he played very badly. Now that she remembered that event, she realized that it was a very special moment. She still recalled how cute Ron was when he was hitting the wrong keys and how he stayed there watching her play for hours. His smile when she finished was probably the sweetest he had ever given her and the memory of that smile caused Hermione to shiver all of a sudden.</p><p>Ron opened the door and they walked inside. The first thing that surprised her was the color of the walls. They were painted in a light shade of blue, and it reminded her of his eyes. The floor was carpeted in cream, to match the blue colored walls.</p><p>There was a small desk with a comfy chair in the left corner. On the desk, there was a big photo showing the entire Weasley family and a smaller one with Ron and Harry outside Highbury Stadium. Next to the pictures were some trophies. <em>They are probably from his school days</em>, she thought.</p><p>Right next to the desk, there was a tall bookcase and the sight of it surprised Hermione. She never expected that Ron would have books in his room. She never saw any book in his room in their flat. On closer inspection, she noticed that the bookshelves were full of magazines about football, cars, and women. <em>Of course, typical teenager</em>, she thought.</p><p>On the left side of the room, there was a small wardrobe and she saw that their luggage was sitting next to it. Right next to the wardrobe, there was a simple wooden bed with an orange and white quilt on it. <em>Oh my God, this is his bed. I can't believe I'm going to lie down on his bed…the same bed he used to sleep on for all these years</em>, she thought with excitement, as she felt her heart hastily pounding.</p><p>"So, what do you think?" She heard Ron asking.</p><p>Hermione lay down on the bed and she felt the soft mattress. She looked at the ceiling and for the first time noticed that it was full of glow-in-the-dark stars. She never thought that Ron would like something as cute as a starfield ceiling.</p><p>"Earth to Hermione," Ron said shaking Hermione out of her reverie.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Ron. I think your room is great and I'm so excited we finally are going to sleep here together," she said without thinking and she felt her cheeks going on fire when she realized what she had just said.</p><p>Ron raised an eyebrow at her comment, but he was also too nervous to bother to ask her what she meant. <em>Probably a bad choice of words</em>, he thought.</p><p>"I'm not so sure about the bed. It's very small. I don't know how convenient it will be," he said and Hermione realized that he was right.</p><p><em>How are we going to fit in a single bed? We have to sleep very close to one another if it is going to work</em>. She had to bite her lip for not squeeing with the realization. She would be free to hold him while they slept and blame it on the bed. <em>How cool was that?</em></p><p>"It's just for a week, Ron. We'll manage it," she said trying to act cool.</p><p>"Are you sure? I can ask to have one of the new rooms. The beds there are bigger," he asked, but Hermione screamed "No!"</p><p>"I'm sorry, Ron. I mean that my parents are going to stay in the new rooms and I don't want to have our room so close to theirs," she lied. Now that she had found an excuse to sleep so close to him, she wasn't going to pass it up.</p><p>"Yes, I guess you're right. Plus all the children will be sleep there too, so it is going to be very noisy," he said and Hermione nodded.</p><p>After a few moments of silence, Hermione spoke. "I must admit that I was expecting a big poster of Arsenal on the wall behind the bed," she joked.</p><p>"I had one signed by Dennis Bergkamp, but I lost it in a bet with a friend."</p><p>"What was the bet about?" Hermione asked him curiously.</p><p>"There was this girl. I didn't like her or anything, but she was the most popular girl in the school. The bet was whether I could get a date with her," he said and Hermione smiled at how immature teenage boys can be sometimes.</p><p>"So, how did it go?" She asked him, although she could easily guess the answer.</p><p>"I couldn't do it. I walked up to her. I smiled but she didn't react and then no words came out of my mouth. So, I just turned around and left as fast as I could."</p><p>"You said you didn't like her. Why were you scared to ask her out?"</p><p>"She was going to say no, Hermione. Bet or not, rejection is not something a teenager can easily cope with," he said and Hermione had to agree.</p><p>"I'm also surprised about the starfield ceiling," she said pointing at the ceiling.</p><p>Ron looked up and gave her a half-smile. "Yeah, when I was a kid, I was afraid of the dark. I was too embarrassed to tell my parents, so I lied to them and told them I wanted a starfield ceiling because it was cool," he said looking at the floor, hiding his embarrassment.</p><p>Hermione noticed Ron's discomfort after admitting his fear of the dark, so she decided to share a secret of her own. "When I was a kid, I was afraid that a monster was under my bed, which was waiting until I went to sleep to eat me," Hermione said and Ron chuckled.</p><p>"How did you get over it?"</p><p>"I don't know. I suppose time takes care of these things," she answered shrugging.</p><p>"It's amazing how simple our fears were when we were kids. Now we are grownups and we are scared about jobs, health… love. Funny, huh?" Ron said and Hermione agreed sadly.</p><p>She was ready now to fight any monster that could be hiding under her bed, but she was terrified to admit her feelings to Ron.</p><p>The door opened without any warning and a redheaded girl came running to hug Ron.</p><p>"Uncle Ron!" She screamed jumping on Ron.</p><p>"Hey, princess! Look at you! You almost look like a woman now," Ron said hugging the little girl. Hermione couldn't help but smile while watching this display of affection from Ron.</p><p>"Here, let me introduce you to my other princess," he said and Hermione blushed. <em>Did he just call me his princess? This guy is going to be the death of me. Okay, relax now and greet the little girl.</em></p><p>"Victoire, this is Hermione."</p><p>"Hello, Victoire. I saw you outside playing on the playground,"</p><p>"Are you Uncle Ron's girlfriend?"</p><p>"Yes, I am," Hermione answered awkwardly. <em>Wasn't she a little too young to know about these things? </em>"How old are you, sweetie?"</p><p>"I'm six. Do you kiss my Uncle Ron on the mouth?" She asked and Hermione's mouth was wide open as she tried to get over the shock of the question and find an appropriate answer.</p><p>Hermione looked at Ron who was rubbing his neck, clearly feeling embarrassed also.</p><p>"There you are," Bill said from the door and both Ron and Hermione let out a sigh of relief.</p><p>"Sorry, but when I told her that you came, she ran to see you. What are you doing to my daughter that she likes you so much, Ron? She never runs to greet me whenever I come home from work."</p><p>"I love you more, Dad," Victoire said running to hug her father.</p><p>"I know you do sweetheart. I'm just kidding," he said and he earned a smile from his daughter.</p><p>"To answer your question, Bill, your daughter came running to see me, because if she didn't she would suffer the consequences," he said in a teasing tone. He gave Victoire a meaningful look and she started screaming.</p><p>"No, he's going to tickle me," she said half-screaming and half-laughing. Ron started chasing her. When he caught her, he started tickling her causing the girl to break out in a fit of laughter.</p><p>Hermione was witnessing the scene with adoration in her eyes. She loved this side of Ron. She couldn't help but imagine how great a father he would be one day.</p><p>Bill noticed Hermione's stare and he knew what it meant. <em>Poor little brother, you just put the idea of a family in Hermione's mind and you don't even know it. There is no escape now</em>, he thought smiling to himself.</p><p>Bill took Victoire after a while, so they could let Ron and Hermione get some rest.</p><p>"She really likes you," Hermione said looking at him.</p><p>"All girls like me. I'm a natural charmer and no woman can resist me. Well, maybe only Aunt Muriel, but she doesn't count. She's not human," he joked and Hermione laughed.</p><p>"Come on. Let me show you the rest of the house," Ron said and Hermione followed him eagerly.</p><p>They stood in the hallway and Ron pointed to one of the doors on his left. "This is the bathroom, nothing special." Then he pointed the door right next to the bathroom, and said, "This was Ginny's room. She, Harry and James are going to sleep in one of the new rooms."</p><p>He turned and he pointed to a door on his right. "That was Percy's room. He and his family are going to use one of the new rooms also," he said and Hermione wondered if that meant what she thought it meant.</p><p>"Ron, are we going to have the whole floor just to ourselves?" She asked hopefully.</p><p>"Yes. Is that a problem?" He asked her and she just shook her head nervously.</p><p>"Alright, follow me then."</p><p>They climbed a floor down. There were five doors. "Bathroom, parents' room, Charlie, Fred, George," he said pointing to a different door every time.</p><p>"Where did Bill used to sleep?" She asked confused.</p><p>"Oh, my room used to be Bill's. I shared a room with Ginny until I was nine. Then Bill left for college and I finally got my own room," he answered.</p><p>They went to the main floor and Ron told her that there was nothing to show to her besides the kitchen. He did point out two more doors: one leading to the living room and the other one leading to the dining room.</p><p>"These two doors lead to the new wing. There is also a third door that leads there. Follow me," he said and Hermione smiled. It was like a tour of a museu.</p><p>They went outside. After walking ten yards, they arrived at a big white wooden door.</p><p>"That's door number three."</p><p>He opened the door and they walked in. The new wing was really impressive and fancy, but Hermione wouldn't trade a whole floor of just her and Ron for better and more expensive furnishings. After he showed her the bedrooms, which were all pretty much the same, he excitedly showed her his favorite room.</p><p>It was a huge playroom with a ping-pong table, a pool table, a dartboard, a huge TV, video games, laptops, big comfy recliners and a small bar filled with beer. It was every man's paradise. Hermione wasn't surprised that Ron was so excited to show her this room. She knew that he was probably going to spend a lot of time here with the other guys doing all kinds of immature, boyish stuff.</p><p>"Wow, this is amazing. I can see why it's your favorite room, Ron."</p><p>"Yeah, it's really cool, right? The twins thought up the idea of this room and even if my mum was reluctant at first, she caved in the end."</p><p>Hermione was standing right next to the pool table and she suddenly remembered Draco and his advice of how she could seduce Ron. <em>Make him teach you something you are bad at.</em></p><p>"Ron, I was wondering if you could teach me how to play pool. When the girls and I go to the pub, they always beat me. Could you give me a few pointers," she asked him with a very seductive voice.</p><p>"Sure, let me grab some sticks," he said. He took two sticks and after handing her one, he began setting the balls on the table.</p><p>Hermione grabbed the top of the stick and she started moving her hand up and down very slowly, but in an obvious way so Ron could see it.</p><p>Ron did see it and for a moment, he forgot how to breathe. He looked at the table trying to avoid the scene and he hit the rack.</p><p>"Ok-okay, now you m-must hit this ball," he stammered, pointing to the ball with the number two on it.</p><p>Hermione bit her lip, so she wouldn't laugh. Her little show obviously had an impact on Ron, but she wasn't sure how much exactly. She decided to go for a little more. She bent over the table ready to shoot the cue ball, but she pretended that she wasn't doing it right and she had a problem with holding the stick.</p><p>"Ron, could you help show me how exactly I need to hold this big stick?" She said and Ron felt that he was one step from passing out. This girl was torturing him and she didn't know it. Or so he thought…</p><p>Taking a deep breath and avoiding looking at her eyes, he came up to her side and he stood behind her. He put his hands down her arms and he moved them into the right position. "Now, keep your hand steady, calculate the right amount of force and then hit the ball," he said so close to her ear that he was able once again to enjoy the wonderful smell of her hair.</p><p>Having Ron touching her, and having his body pressing lightly into hers was almost unbearable for Hermione. The sensation caused her to shiver and she let out a soft moan. She knew that she should end her little game soon, but she didn't know how to control herself at the moment.</p><p>Suddenly she felt Ron hands travel from her hands to her slim waist and her heart started beating like crazy. Feeling his hand on her waist was new and it was definitely something that made her whole body burn with desire.</p><p>"Now you're ready. Hit the ball," he whispered in her ear.</p><p>Hermione did what he told her and indeed the ball went into the one of the pockets.</p><p>"I did it!" Hermione said squeeing with excitement. She turned to Ron, wrapped her hands around his neck, and kissed him on the cheek.</p><p>"You are such a good teacher, Ron. I wonder what else you can teach me," she said, blushing but she didn't care. She was already convinced that nothing could make Ron see her as more than a friend.</p><p>They were really close and Ron started trying to figure out what Hermione was doing.</p><p><em>Is it my imagination or is Hermione flirting with me? No. Stop it, Ron, or else you are going to humiliate yourself</em>, he thought.</p><p>"Shall we go back to see if Harry and Ginny have arrived?" He asked her and Hermione nodded, breaking the hug.</p><p>Leaving the room, she looked one more time at the pool table and smiled. <em>Maybe this Weasley Week thing wasn't such a bad idea after all</em>, she thought.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. The phone call</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fred and George were standing in the middle of the hallway outside Ron's bedroom, and they had wrapped their arms around Ron. They were like this for a couple of minutes and even though Hermione found it amusing, Ron was just getting more and more irritated by the second.</p><p>"I can't believe our little brother is finally getting laid," Fred said.</p><p>"We were ready to buy him an inflatable doll for Christmas this year," said George looking at Hermione and she chuckled.</p><p>"But she would probably reject him too," Fred commented.</p><p>"Second that," George added.</p><p>"Get lost, you tossers!" Ron said after he finally managed to break up the hug.</p><p>"Oh, come on, Ronniekins," Fred said, but Ron ignored him. He went inside his bedroom and Hermione followed him closing the door behind her.</p><p>"Where is your Christmas spirit?" George yelled outside the closed door.</p><p>Hermione saw Ron lying down on the bed, sighing. It wasn't easy to get through the greeting process.</p><p>Firstly, Arthur had welcomed Hermione with a hug and an apology for Muriel's behavior. Apparently, Fleur had heard what she had told Hermione, and she thought it would be best to tell Arthur. She didn't want to tell Molly, because she knew that she would take it harder since she is also a Prewett.</p><p>Later, the twins arrived with their families. The group included Angelina, Fred's wife; their son, Peter; Katie, George's wife; and their son, Adam. Hermione had met them before, but she never had a chance to have a real conversation with them; she was pleasantly surprised when she received a great 'welcome.-to-the-family' hug from both women. The twins gave very simple greetings, but as it turned out it was only a façade in front of their wives. As soon as their wives were out of sight, they came running to Ron's room and they started teasing her and Ron.</p><p>Charlie and his pregnant wife, Sofia, were too tired after the trip from Greece; after a quick hug, they went to their room to sleep. Hermione had never met Charlie before or his wife, but she knew there was enough time to meet them properly later.</p><p>The only one who seemed unhappy to see Ron and Hermione was Ginny. Although Harry seemed to enjoy their little scheme, Ginny made sure to show her annoyance. When Ron told her to mind her own business, she just rolled her eyes and left them. Hermione wasn't sure if having Ginny mad at them was a good idea.</p><p>"Are you like this because of Ginny and the twins?" Hermione asked when she saw him sighing.</p><p>
  <em>No, I'm not like this because of Ginny. I don't give a damn if my little sister has a problem with what we are doing. I'm like this, because I'm bloody crazy about you. I want to kiss you, to touch you, and to taste you, but I can't because it's wrong. Then you go and give me an erotic show by the pool table and you expect me to be okay?</em>
</p><p>"Yes, because of them," he lied. "Just give me a minute and I'll be alright."</p><p>"Alright, I'll go to the bathroom to get ready for dinner then," she said walking out of the room, leaving Ron deep in thoughts. He couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened in the playroom.</p><p><em>What was that anyway? If any other girl had done that, I would swear that she was into me. She probably just wants to have some fun with the situation and get a good laugh. Actually now that I think about it, that can't be the reason. Hermione is not like that. She would never embarrass me to have fun. Did I misunderstand her once again? No, I couldn't have. I'm not blind; I saw her. She was giving a bloody handjob to that stick for God sake! No, no, no. Don't think about that or you're going to go mental</em>, he thought.</p><p>Hermione came out of the bathroom and Ron couldn't tear his eyes away from her. She wore black jeans and a very feminine purple jumper. <em>God, I can stay and stare at her for hours</em>, he thought. Because he was actually staring, he didn't hear Hermione calling him.</p><p>"Ron, are you okay?" he finally heard Hermione's voice asking, shaking him out of his reverie.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"I asked if you are okay, but apparently you're not. What is it?"</p><p>"Oh, nothing. I'm just a little nervous about dinner. I hope they won't focus on us," he half-lied. Yes, he wasn't thinking exactly that, but he was really nervous about dinner. Knowing his family, they would want answers and explanations.</p><p>Hermione walked over to him and she sat right next to him on the bed. "Don't worry. We're in this together," she said taking his hand in hers.</p><p>Ron looked at their entwined fingers and he smiled. He bent over a little and kissed the back of her hand gently. "Then I have nothing to be afraid of," he said and Hermione blushed.</p><p>"Shall we, Mr. Weasley?" she said getting up from the bed, still holding Ron's hand.</p><p>"Follow my lead, Miss Granger."</p><p>The dinner table was full of food and people. Hermione was preparing herself for what might happen. She was aware that the Weasleys loved to talk about everything when they were eating dinner. She remembered how many questions about her life and her job she had to answer when she first went with Ron to a family dinner.</p><p>Ron was sitting right next to her, holding her hand. Oh, how much she wished that he was holding her hand because he wanted to feel her skin and not just to pretend that they can't keep their hands off each other.</p><p>"Don't worry. They are not going to eat us. My mother's Shepherd's Pie is far tastier," Ron joked and Hermione forced a smile.</p><p>She really couldn't relax because of Ginny's constant glares. She knew that Ginny was against what they were doing and she was afraid that she would reveal to everybody the true nature of her relationship with Ron.</p><p>When everybody was at the table and had food on the plates, Molly made a toast.</p><p>"Every year, I feel that there are more and more of us at this table. I can't tell you how happy you all make me by coming here to spend the last days of the year together. It shows me that we are a strong family. To the Weasleys!" she said raising her glass of wine along with the rest of the table.</p><p>Hermione had to smile when she saw that all the children, who were eating at a smaller table next to the main table, raised their cups with orange juice too.</p><p>"Well, I think that our little Ronniekins needs to make a toast too," she suddenly heard George saying.</p><p>"Yeah, he brought a girl home for the first time," Fred said.</p><p>"Now that's a Christmas miracle."</p><p>"He probably asked for one from Santa."</p><p>"Dear Santa, I've been a good boy this year."</p><p>"I didn't let any goals in."</p><p>"I didn't make a penalty."</p><p>"Enough! Fred, George, when are you going to grow up? Eat your food and stop making Hermione feel uncomfortable," Molly yelled at the twins.</p><p>"That's alright, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said, but inside, she was thankful for her interference.</p><p>"No, it's not alright, Hermione. Is it boys?" Molly asked the twins who they shook their heads apologetically. "And I told you to call me Molly, dear."</p><p>"We're sorry, Ron. We just thought he deserved a little teasing after hiding his relationship with Hermione for two years," Fred said.</p><p>"He probably thought she was going to leave him before he had the chance to tell us," George said. "Which is the most possible scenario, am I right?"</p><p>Ron turned to Hermione and he whispered in her ear. "Just nod to whatever I say, alright?" and she nodded waiting to see what he was up to.</p><p>He rose from his seat and after taking a deep breath, he started his speech. He had prepared a small story based on a true event, but he would alter the story a bit to fit with the supposed romance between him and Hermione. He thought it would be better than inventing a completely new story.</p><p>"You all know that Hermione and I met under weird circumstances five years ago," he said, but Charlie interrupted him.</p><p>"Is that how we call it now? Your lousy driving skills are weird circumstances?" he joked and everybody except Hermione gave a small laugh.</p><p>"We become friends and later best friends. We moved in together and our relationship was strictly platonic. That was until two years ago. I had a game in Cardiff and for the first time I had to spend the night away from our flat. Away from Hermione," he said, stealing a glance at Hermione who looked at him with confusion in her eyes.</p><p>"I missed her terribly and I couldn't sleep so I called her. She answered and we talked until the morning. It was then when I realized that… that I could never live without her and that my feelings for her had long ago passed the barrier of just friendship," he said and he had a weird feeling that he wasn't lying.</p><p><em>No, I wasn't in love with her way back then, was I? I couldn't have been. I mean</em>… he started thinking until he noticed that everybody was staring at him, waiting for more.</p><p>While everybody was watching Ron, Ginny was staring at Hermione. She was blushing and she looked like she was reliving that night. Her eyes were focused on Ron and there were full of confusion and anxiety. Most of all, they were filled with a hope that what he was saying, was something he actually believed. At that moment, Ginny realized that her friend was head over heels in love with her prat of a brother.</p><p>"So, when I came back, I asked her to be my girlfriend and here we are now," Ron lied, sitting back in his chair quickly to avoid looking at Hermione who was breathing heavily next to him.</p><p>"That's a beautiful story, Ron," Audrey, who was sitting next to him, said.</p><p>"Yes, it is, Ron, but that still doesn't explain why you kept it a secret from us for two years when Hermione's parents knew it all along," Percy said.</p><p>"I didn't tell you anything, because I wasn't ready to. Is that a good enough answer for you?" he snapped at Percy, trying to make everybody stop asking more questions.</p><p>"No, it's not, but whatever."</p><p>"Ron, don't worry, my boy. The important thing is that you two are together now," Arthur said and everybody understood that all discussion about Ron and Hermione was over.</p><p>Ron ate his food and quickly left the table to go to his room and "get some rest". That was a lie, of course. All he wanted to do was to be as far away from Hermione as possible. He couldn't shake that weird feeling in his chest, when he was telling the story.</p><p>Thoughts of that night came to mind. It was one of the best nights of his life. He and Hermione were just talking and joking. It was great, because their relationship wasn't at its best at that moment. Around that time, Hermione had recently broken up with Krum, but Ron was still distant with her. He had told her that he hated Viktor, but she didn't care. She had gone out with him anyway.</p><p>Maybe it was the distance, maybe it was because there was no eye contact, but truth was that that night was the best medicine for their ill relationship. When he hung up the phone the next morning, he was sure about one thing. Hermione Granger was the most important person in his life and he loved her more than anything.</p><p><em>Only as a friend though. I never saw her as something more. The fact that I never had a serious relationship after that night or that I always want to come home as fast as I can to see Hermione, is irrelevant. Does it mean anything that I love when she plays with my hair as I am laying my head on her lap to watch TV; I close my eyes to enjoy the feeling, ignoring the movie. Does it mean anything that I pretend that I need to wake up early everyday, but in reality, I just want to see her and have breakfast with her before she has to go to work? Yeah, none of that means anything, does it? No, it doesn't</em>, he thought trying to convince himself, but the doubt was already in his mind and heart.</p><hr/><p>Hermione was in the bathroom getting ready to go to sleep. She hadn't spoken with Ron since dinner. She wasn't sure how she felt after hearing him. That night was very special for Hermione and apparently for Ron too.</p><p>When Ron started telling the story, memories from that night flooded Hermione's mind. It was the first time that Ron was sleeping away from her and she couldn't sleep. She never told Ron, but that night she went to his room to sleep, hugging one of his pillows and wearing one of his shirts. She wanted to keep a part of him as close to her as she could.</p><p>When the phone rang and she picked it up, she had no idea that this would be one of the best sleepless nights of her life. She and Ron were talking and joking and time passed so fast without realizing that morning had come. She loved that night, because she remembered how awkward her relationship with Ron was at that point.</p><p>She had broken up with Viktor a couple of weeks before, and although Ron never said anything, she knew how much she had hurt him. She tried her best to show him that Viktor meant nothing to her and that she had regretted what she had with him, but Ron was still acting a little cold towards her.</p><p>She remembered what Ron said at the table. He had said that that night he realized he couldn't live without her and she smiled thinking that she thought the same thing. When she hung up the phone that day, she was sure about one thing; Ronald Weasley was the most important person in her life and she loved him more than anything.</p><p><em>Only as a friend though. I never saw him as something more until recently. The fact that I never had a relationship or got laid after that night is irrelevant. It means nothing that the best part of my day is when I go to Ron's room in the morning to wake him up and I see his blue eyes open for the first time of the day. It doesn't mean anything that when he calls me beautiful, I feel incredibly warm and content inside. None of that means anything, </em>she thought, but the doubt was already in her mind and heart.</p><p>"Ron, are you asleep?" she whispered.</p><p>"No, I'm not," he mumbled turning to look at her.</p><p>"Can I ask you something?" she asked nervously.</p><p>"Sure."</p><p>"That story you told your family about us and how we got together. You know about the night you called me from Cardiff and we talked until morning. I was wondering why you didn't fake a story, but you used a real one," she said biting her lips.</p><p>Ron turned to look at her. Their eyes locked for a while and he knew that it was pointless to lie. "Do you remember that night?"</p><p>"Of course, I do."</p><p>"It was two weeks after your break up with…. Krum," he said with difficulty. It was still a sore subject for him.</p><p>"Yes, I remember," she whispered.</p><p>"I tried to act like I wasn't hurt that you were dating him, despite the fact that you knew that I hated him, but I was hurt. Seeing you choosing him over me made me start questioning whether we were even friends. So, I was starting to hate you too," he said sighing.</p><p>Hermione was shocked. "Oh, I see," she stammered.</p><p>"Yes, I was stuck on that bench and Krum was always trying to make fun of me. He even used you as a way to provoke me, but I ignored him most of the time. Then I would come home and I see you getting ready to go meet him and that made me mad. Mad at him, mad at you, mad at …everything," he said staring at his shiny ceiling.</p><p>"Ron, what do you mean he was using me to provoke you?"</p><p>"I don't want to talk about it."</p><p>Hermione put her hand on his cheek and she gently turned his face so he would look at her. "Please, Ron."</p><p>"He's an idiot, Hermione. Why talk about him?"</p><p>"I need to know, Ron. I just want to get it over with," she pleaded and Ron nodded.</p><p>"He would say how easy you are, and that only a poof would live with a woman like you without shagging her, or he would start spreading lies about you," he said, running a hand through his hair.</p><p>"Don't stop, Ron. What lies?"</p><p>"One time when we were getting dressed before a game, he announced that you promised him that if he scored in that game, you would… you would give him a blowjob in the middle of the field and that you would have no problem if the rest of us were there to watch," he said. Once again, he felt anger rise in his chest as it had that day.</p><p>He remembered punching Viktor in the stomach and he never regretted it. He didn't even care when his team gave him a two week wage fine. He would do it again without a second thought.</p><p>Hermione's eyes widened and she put a hand to her mouth. "Oh my God, Ron. That's a lie! I would never-," she was so shocked that she couldn't even complete the sentence.</p><p>Ron pulled her into a hug and he tried to soothe her. "Ssshh. It's okay, Hermione. I know you. I know you," he whispered in her ear.</p><p>Hermione felt the tears rolling down her cheeks. "I feel so embarrassed. I can't believe he would say something like that. I swear to you, Ron, I would never say that to anyone," she sobbed into his chest.</p><p>"Hermione, look at me," he said, lifting her chin with his hand. She looked at him with tears in her eyes and a shaking body.</p><p>"Don't cry. He's not worth it. You are the most wonderful person I have ever met. I know you," he said wiping her tears with his thumbs. He held her tightly and she snuggled into his chest, wishing to stay like this forever.</p><p>"Anyway, to get back to our story, I was trying to be supportive after your break-up, but I still hadn't forgiven you," she suddenly heard Ron say after a few minutes.</p><p>"That night in Cardiff, I was really missing you. I debated whether I should call you or not. I did and you answered. We spent all night talking; you remember that?" he asked her and she turned to look at him.</p><p>"Of course, I remember, Ron. It was one of the best memories of my life," she said truthfully looking him straight in the eyes.</p><p>"I wasn't lying. When I hung up that phone, I was convinced that I could never live without you," he said never taking his eyes off hers.</p><p>"It took you that long, huh?" she joked and Ron gave a smile.</p><p>Their eyes were locked for more that she thought was possible. It was just impossible for her to look at something else when she had Ron's beautiful blue eyes glued to hers. She noticed how close they were and how Ron's hand was on her back while hers was on his waist. She felt goose bumps all over her body.</p><p><em>Why are you looking at me like that, Ron? Why are you looking at me like I'm beautiful? What are you trying to say? Do you want to kiss me? Please kiss me, Ron. Whether you want to or not, just do it. Just kiss me!</em> She was pleading inside, but Ron seemed to have other plans.</p><p>"Goodnight, Hermione," he said kissing her forehead.</p><p>"Goodnight, Ron," she whispered, resting her head once again on his chest. <em>How silly of me, to think that he might actually want to kiss me. I'm nothing more to him than a friend. Just a friend</em>, she thought bitterly.</p><p>An hour later, Hermione was still awake. She looked at Ron's sleeping face and she smiled sadly. She was on the same bed with Ron and she couldn't do anything about it. She couldn't touch him or kiss him, not in the way she longed to anyway. It was simply torture.</p><p>She carefully reached up and gently caressed his soft hair. "Why can't you see me, Ron? I'm right here waiting for you to notice me," she whispered.</p><p>Ron was in a deep sleep and Hermione wanted to get off her chest what she was harboring in her heart. "Ron, I think it's time to tell you my secret. It's better that you're sleeping and you can't hear me, because I'm not brave enough to tell you when you're awake," she whispered again.</p><p>"I love you."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Happy Christmas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ron's arm was wrapped around Hermione and her head was resting on his chest. It was a great sensation for Hermione to be snuggling into Ron's body. Her legs were around his waist and it was like she was on top of him in a very intimate position.</p><p>
  <em>Hmmm… is this how I'm going to wake up for the next week? God, this is incredible. He smells wonderful and the way his hands are around me… it feels like he's protecting me. I could totally get used to waking up like this for the rest of my life.</em>
</p><p>"Are you awake?" she heard Ron asking her.</p><p>"Yes, I am," she answered sleepily, turning her head to see him.</p><p>"Good, because I really need to go to the bathroom," he said with a grimace. He wanted to pee desperately for the last half an hour, but he was also enjoying the feel of Hermione's body on his and he also didn't want to wake her up.</p><p>"Thank you for the info, I suppose?"</p><p>"Hermione, I can't go. Your legs are wrapped around my waist and I can't move," he said, pointing to her legs.</p><p>"Oh my God. I'm so sorry, Ron. I didn't notice that," she lied, still not taking her legs off his waist.</p><p>"Hermione, move!" he cried pushing her slightly away and he hurriedly left the bed and ran to the bathroom.</p><p>"And that's how my ideal morning came to an end," she said sighing. She rested on the bed thinking again about yesterday. She tried to deny it, but her heart knew the truth.</p><p>It was the first time that everything made sense. She always wondered what was wrong with her that she couldn't fall in love or why she always declined to give her number to the guys that showed interest in her. At first, she thought that maybe she was one of those people that is incapable of falling in love and that she was meant to grow old alone.</p><p>Then she thought that she would never have time for dating because of her job. For her, being successful in her job was the most important thing. It was what she was fighting to earn after years of studying hard.</p><p>But the truth was far simpler. She couldn't have fallen in love, because she was already in love. <em>How could I have been so blind?</em></p><p>Ron came back from the bathroom and Hermione made room in the bed for him to lie down, but instead he went to her and he kissed the top of her head.</p><p>"Happy Christmas, Granger," Ron said smiling.</p><p>"Happy Christmas to you too, Weasley," she said hugging him. "Do you want me to give you your present now?" she said excitedly, but she saw Ron's smile fading from his face.</p><p>"Were we supposed to buy each other presents?" Ron said with a shocked expression and Hermione frowned.</p><p>"You didn't? Well, that's okay. I just thought since we were going to spend Christmas together, I should buy you something," Hermione said, but inside she felt really sad that Ron didn't think of buying her something.</p><p>"Yes, and make me look like the bad guy who didn't get you anything, right?" he snapped at her.</p><p>Hermione was taken aback with his outburst. It wasn't her fault that she had bought him a present. "Ron, it's fine. You didn't do it on purpose."</p><p>"Yes, but the result is the same, isn't it? If somebody asks you what I got you for Christmas, what are you going to tell them? That I'm an insensitive prat that forgot to buy you something?" he asked her with an angry tone and Hermione didn't know if he was angry with her or himself.</p><p>"I'll tell them that my present is at our flat and you forgot to take it with you. How's that?" She said trying to make him calm down. This was their first Christmas together. It wasn't supposed to start like this.</p><p>"No, I don't like that, Hermione. Now I feel like a git, forgetting to get you a Christmas present and you are all-" he suddenly stopped talking and started laughing.</p><p>"Dammit, I couldn't keep a straight face. You should have seen your face. You looked like a kid that finds out that Santa isn't real," he said through his laugh.</p><p>Hermione was puzzled. Then when she saw the mischievous smile on his face, she realized that he was pulling a prank on her. She kept staring at him and trying to keep herself from punching him. "Was that supposed to be funny, Ronald?" she asked him angrily.</p><p>"I don't know about you, but I thought it was hilarious. Come on, Hermione. Did you honestly think that I wouldn't give you a Christmas present?" he said walking to his desk and pulling a wrapped box out of the top drawer.</p><p>"I'm still mad at you," she said taking his present.</p><p>Ron pulled her into a tight hug and he kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry. Please just open it," he said, but all she could think about was how wonderful he smelled.</p><p>Hermione looked at the present and wondered what it might be. She thought it was probably a book, judging from the size. She unwrapped it and found a silver frame with a picture inside. She was so shocked that she almost dropped it. It was a picture of her and her grandfather from when she was little; it was the last time she spent her vacation with him at his lake house.</p><p>That picture showed her and him under an oak tree next to the house. It was a very special moment for her, because it was the last time she saw him alive. The following day she returned to her flat. Two months later, her grandfather died and she was devastated. She loved him as much as she loved her parents, if not more.</p><p>When she found the picture the next summer in her grandfather's bedroom, it had faded from being kept in the sun. As a result, it was almost impossible to see the picture clearly. Hermione kept it though. It meant too much to her. Now the picture that she was looking at was perfect.</p><p>"Ron, how did you do this?" she asked with awe.</p><p>"Well, I remembered when you showed it to me and you told me how much you loved that picture. So, I borrowed it and gave it to a professional photographer that knows how to restore faded pictures, and now here it is. Do you like it?"</p><p>Hermione hugged him, burying her face in his chest, letting some tears roll from her eyes. Once again, Ron reminded her why she loved him so much. "Thank you," she said raising her head and kissing him on the cheek.</p><p>Ron felt his ears going red and he turned away, rubbing his neck. He saw Hermione searching through one of her suitcases, and she took out a gift that he assumed was his present.</p><p>"Well, this is for you," she said nervously with a smile while giving him his present.</p><p>Ron opened the bag quickly, because he was just so eager to see what she got him. It was an Arsenal's goalkeeper shirt with David Seaman's name on. Ron smiled when he saw it. He had told her that Seaman was his football idol, but he wasn't sure she listened to him whenever he talked about football. After a closer look, he saw that the shirt was signed.</p><p>"Is this really autographed by David Seaman?" he said excitedly.</p><p>"Yes, it is. He was our client a few months ago and I couldn't let the opportunity go to waste. I kept it in my closet for a very long time, waiting for the right opportunity to give it to you. Do you like it?"</p><p>"Are you crazy? I love it!" Ron exclaimed and Hermione laughed at his reaction. It was like giving candy to a kid.</p><p>"Okay, then keep playing with that shirt while I go to the bathroom to get ready."</p><p>Ron couldn't stop looking at his shirt. He looked at the closed door in the bathroom and sighed. He had to say something to Hermione and he was afraid of her reaction. He got dressed quickly waiting for Hermione to return so they could talk.</p><p>Hermione came out of the bathroom wearing a beautiful knee length, black dress with a couple of blue stripes. It didn't show much of her cleavage, but it definitely accentuated her beautiful legs.</p><p>Ron just stared at her with his mouth half-open. If it was possible, she looked even more beautiful than ever in his eyes.</p><p>"How do I look?" she asked him nervously.</p><p>"You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life," he said without thinking. When he realized what he had just said, he turned his head away from her to hide his embarrassment.</p><p>Hermione's cheeks went immediately crimson and she had trouble trying to convince her body that it was important to keep breathing. <em>What does that mean? I'm not beautiful, so why does he keep saying that? Is there a chance I should actually believe him? Okay, don't think about that now, Hermione. Relax and enjoy your first Christmas with him</em>, she thought.</p><p>She looked at him and she saw that he was wearing a blue shirt. She couldn't help but notice how their clothes matched.</p><p>"You look very dashing too," she said truthfully. "Are you ready to go down for breakfast?"</p><p>Ron gave her an awkward look and he sighed. He wasn't sure how to tell her, but he knew that today they had to kiss. He wanted to like crazy, but he would never take advantage of a situation just to fulfill his desires. Hermione deserved better than that.</p><p>"Yeah, listen. I need to tell you…I don't think we can get through this day without kissing in front of my family. I just want to know if you feel comfortable with that," he said really fast.</p><p>Hermione was shocked and didn't know what to say. She wanted to go over to him and snog his brains out on the spot, but she knew that Ron didn't mean it like that. He was just making sure that she was ready for their little show.</p><p>"Do you feel comfortable with that?" she asked him back awkwardly.</p><p>"I get to kiss the most beautiful girl in England. I can't complain," he said truthfully and Hermione felt her cheeks going redder.</p><p><em>Stop doing this to me, Ron! Stop giving me hope!</em> She pleaded with him mentally.</p><p>"Listen, Hermione. If you don't want to-"</p><p>"I want to!" she said interrupting him and immediately regretted her words. "I mean… I'm okay with that," she said blushing and looking at her shoes.</p><p>"Okay, then."</p><p>"So, what are we supposed to do now? Go down and start snogging in front of everyone?" she asked nervously and Ron gave a little laugh.</p><p>"No, Hermione. I think we'll wait for a good moment. I'll tell you when it's time, alright?"</p><p>"Okay, now let's get the presents for the kids to put the under the Christmas tree."</p><p>"Oh, yes. I forgot about the gifts," Hermione said. She went to her closet and pulled out a huge bag overflowing with Christmas presents. She remembered how lovely it was when she and Ron went to buy them. They had so much fun that day and she loved listening to Ron talk about his family.</p><p>She gave the heavy bag to Ron and they went downstairs to leave all the presents under the tree. Muriel was sitting in a chair next to the tree, and after a quick 'good morning' from both of them that she didn't return, they went to the kitchen for breakfast.</p><p>Breakfast at the Burrow was as hectic as dinner. After the typical 'Merry Christmas' wishes and a delightful breakfast, everybody gathered in the living room, because it was time for the kids to open their presents.</p><p>Hermione was a little worried whether the kids would like what she chose. Ron let her buy all the presents and he paid for them. For a lawyer like herself, that seemed like a fair deal.</p><p>"Do you think they'll like what we got for them?" Hermione asked Ron nervously.</p><p>"They better. They cost a bloody fortune," Ron said giving her a meaningful glare.</p><p>Hermione punched his arm lightly. "Do you honestly only think about the money?"</p><p>"First, ouch, Hermione! Secondly, all I ever got for Christmas every year when I was a kid was a knitted jumper from my mother. These kids should be grateful, whether they like what we got them or not," he said looking at the kids who were waiting next to the Christmas tree to open their presents.</p><p>For Daniel who was 5-years old, she chose a huge collection of Lego: Star Wars, because Ron told her that Daniel loved Lego. For the 4-year olds, Peter and Adam, she chose a pair of walkie-talkies that would help them when they do their pranks. They got cute baby clothes for James and Gabrielle along with too many baby toys and a play mat for each with music, colors, animals, numbers and letters. This was a fun way to learn according to Hermione.</p><p>She was a little worried about Victoire. Ron told her that she seemed interested in photographs, so she bought her a digital camera and a leather scrapbook. Ron protested at first that maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to give her such an expensive gift. He thought it would be better if they got her a couple of disposable cameras instead, but Hermione convinced him that girls at this age are more responsible with their things than boys.</p><p>Luckily, all the kids loved their presents and that gave Hermione a wonderful feeling. She watched them opening all their presents with great enthusiasm. She was surprised when she saw that Muriel had bought presents for the kids too.</p><p>Although Hermione wasn't supposed to, she bought a present for every couple, including Ron's parents. She got each of them an all-expense paid weekend at a luxury spa for whenever they wanted with the promise of free babysitting for their children, so they could relax and enjoy it.</p><p>She knew that the agreement was that everybody buys presents only for the kids, but she couldn't help herself. It was her first Christmas with the Weasleys and she wanted to give them something nice. Everybody thanked her, despite Ron who groaned. He kept mumbling that he paid for everything, so they should be thanking him.</p><p>She saw Molly giving Ron a wrapped present; she knew that once again his mum had knitted him a maroon jumper with a big R embroidered in front. Even though Ron hated this color and his mother knew it, she kept giving him the same jumper every year. Ron gave a genuine hug to his mother and Hermione watched them lovingly. He may hate maroon, but because it was a gift from his mother, he loved it.</p><p>"Hermione, this is for you," Molly told her, giving her a present; Hermione looked at her with shock on her face. She unwrapped the gift to find a beautiful knitted red/blue scarf. It reminded her of Ron's red hair and blue eyes. She gave Molly a very tight hug, trying to keep her tears from rolling down. She felt a mixture of happiness and guilt.</p><p>"Thank you, Molly," she whispered giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I hope you liked our present too."</p><p>"I loved it, Hermione, but it's the last time. I don't want presents, Hermione. You being here with my Ronnie is a big enough gift for me. All I want is to see my children happy. Seeing Ron's face light up every time he sees you, is the best gift you could ever give me. You make my little boy happy, Hermione. That's all I ever wanted for him… to see him happy and with you, he really is," she said giving Hermione one more hug.</p><p>Hermione stood there frozen. She wondered if that could be true. She turned to see Ron and she saw that he was playing with Daniel. She walked towards him showing him her new scarf.</p><p>"Look what your mother gave me," she said softly and her face showed how much she loved it.</p><p>Ron rose from the floor and he took the scarf in his hands. He didn't say anything, but he wrapped the scarf carefully around Hermione's neck. Hermione stared at him straight in the eyes and he did the same.</p><p>"So beautiful," he said simply and he walked away, leaving Hermione there wondering whether he was talking about the scarf or her.</p><p>"Hey, Hermione, are you coming?" she heard Angelina asking her. Apparently, she was talking to her, but Hermione was too absorbed with what Ron said that she hadn't heard anything else.</p><p>"I'm sorry. I wasn't listening," she apologized to Angelina.</p><p>"I said that the boys went to play their stupid games and the girls are going outside for a cup of hot chocolate. Are you coming?" she asked her again and Hermione nodded.</p><p>She really wanted some bonding time with the girls. She only knew Ginny well. She had met Angelina, Audrey and Katie a couple of times. Now she could get to know them better and finally properly meet Sofia and Fleur.</p><p>Hermione had a very good time with the girls, laughing and joking around. It was the first time that Ginny didn't seem angry with her. She treated her nicely and talked to her exactly like the other girls. She wondered what that meant.</p><p>"So, Hermione, you didn't tell us. What do you think of the legendary Burrow?" Audrey asked her and Hermione turned her attention back to the girls.</p><p>"I think it's beautiful. And I'm not talking only about the building. It's so beautiful, because it's so full of life and love; it's nothing like the house I grew up in," she said sadly.</p><p>"Why do you say that?"</p><p>"It was a big house, but I'm an only child. There were no kids my age in the neighborhood, so there were no lively sounds of kids playing in my house. It was just me serving tea to my imaginary friends and then playing them Mozart on the piano," she said and Audrey gave her a sympathetic look.</p><p>"What about kids from school?" Sofia asked entering the conversation.</p><p>"I went to a private school that was an hour away from our house. I had some good friends there, but I never spent time with them outside school since they lived too far away. The only time we spent time together outside school was during birthday parties."</p><p>"So were you inside the house all day?"</p><p>"Of course not. We had a swing in our garden and a tree house where I liked to spend a lot of time. We also had a seesaw, but unfortunately I never used it because there was never someone else to stay on the other side," Hermione said, feeling very emotional at the moment.</p><p>The other girls looked at each other, not really knowing what they were supposed to do. They felt sad for Hermione, but they were afraid that by saying something it would make her feel more uncomfortable.</p><p>"I would trade place with you in a heartbeat. Growing up with six older brothers is much worse than living alone," Ginny joked trying to cheer her up.</p><p>"No, it's not," Hermione whispered, looking away trying to hide her feelings. She spent all her childhood years alone with no friends or anyone to share some 'fun time' with. She was more than thrilled when she met Keira at high school and they became best friends immediately. Unfortunately, when it was time for college, Keira left for the U.S. and Hermione never saw her again. Ron was the first person to get close to her since Keira, and she cherished their friendship.</p><p>She couldn't believe how much she had just shared of her past. She realized that it was so easy to be herself and share things with this wonderful group of ladies.</p><p>"Answer me something that I've been wondering about, Hermione. How did you manage to spend three years with a hot guy like Ron without doing anything? I'm married to his brother and I wouldn't throw him out of my bed, if you know what I mean," Angelina said with a wink.</p><p>"Okay, this is my brother we are talking about and I don't want to hear things like that. I don't want my breakfast to come out of my nose please," Ginny said with a disgusted look on her face and all the girls chuckled.</p><p>"Ginny, we know Ron is your brother, but let's face it. Speaking on behalf of every woman here minus you, Ron is freaking hot. We all have fantasized about him at some point in a very intimate position that would make your cheeks go redder than your hair," Angelina said matter-of-factly.</p><p>"Oh, come on! I doubt if any of the other girls has ever thought of Ron like that," Ginny said laughing. Her laugh quickly faded though when she saw that all the girls were avoiding her gaze suspiciously.</p><p>"Seriously? What the hell is wrong with all of you?" she shouted with a shocked face.</p><p>"Ginny, if we weren't attracted to Ron, something would be wrong with us," Sofia said, giving her an apologetic glare. "I mean Billy is the hottest one but my Charlie and Ron come close second."</p><p>"And it's not like we would do something about it. I wouldn't trade my hubby for anyone, but we're just stating facts," added Katie.</p><p>Hermione was listening to the conversation with great interest. She didn't know how to feel about what she had just heard. She was aware of how handsome Ron was, but seeing all these beautiful women admitting that they had a thing for him made her feel uncomfortable and worst of all, inadequate.</p><p>Sofia was a beautiful Greek woman with an athletic physique, long black hair and beautiful green eyes. Angelina had curves that would make every guy go crazy. Katie was petite and exotic and had beautiful blue eyes. Audrey was tall and sexy with killer legs that she showed very often with her miniskirts and Fleur… well she was simply the most beautiful woman Hermione ever saw in her life.</p><p>Ron could have them in his bed. He could have every single one of them and that scared her. She started thinking why someone like Ron, who could have whomever he wanted, would ever want to be with her. What did she have to offer Ron compared to them? <em>Frizzy hair, skinny legs, boring brown eyes and a freckled back?</em></p><p>"Can we change the subject please?" Ginny asked with a pleading voice.</p><p>"Well, first Hermione must answer my question," Angelina said looking at Hermione.</p><p>"I don't know. I just never thought of him like that before," she said, blushing.</p><p>"Well, you can tell that he's crazy about you and how happy he is now. That's all that matters," Katie said and every girl seemed to agree.</p><p>Hermione stared at them with curiosity. What did they mean by that? How could they tell that Ron was crazy about her? First, it was Molly and now they were all saying it. Did they have proof or did they say it out of politeness? She desperately wanted to ask Katie what she was talking about, but she decided that it probably would not be a smart idea.</p><hr/><p>In the playroom, Charlie and Percy were playing a game of darts, the twins and Bill were at the pool table playing 8-ball, and Ron and Harry were playing a football game on the playstation.</p><p>"3-0! Give it up, pal. Football is my world. You can't beat me in my world," Ron said with a victorious tone in his voice.</p><p>"I'm just out of practice. Ginny doesn't let me play anymore video games in the house. She says that it is a bad influence for James," Harry said trying to justify his loss.</p><p>"You're kidding, right? James is still a baby and anyway Ginny loves to play video games with us."</p><p>"She loved to play games. You have no idea how much a woman changes after marriage or after a baby. They start to think as mothers first and everything they do is for the benefit of their babies."</p><p>"Word," every guy in the room said in unison.</p><p>"And what do you do for fun then?"</p><p>"I spend time with my wife and my son. Trust me, Ron. I love to play football and video games, or go for a beer with you, but I wouldn't trade a single afternoon that I've spent with my wife and son for that," Harry said truthfully.</p><p>Ron looked at him like he was an alien. How was sitting in a house doing nothing ever be more fun than going out with your friends? <em>Yeah, like I don't do that with Hermione. I can't even count how many times I declined an offer to go for a beer, because I wanted to go home and spend some time with Hermione</em>, he thought.</p><p>"When is your next game, Ron?" he heard Charlie asking him.</p><p>"This Saturday, December 30."</p><p>"What about practices?"</p><p>"I have time off until tomorrow."</p><p>"You're going to leave? Have you told mum? I don't think she'll be happy to hear that," Percy said giving him a meaningful look.</p><p>"I don't have to leave. We have practices only in the morning and the training facilities are only a couple of hours away. I'll be home, hours before dinner."</p><p>"Still you better tell mum."</p><p>"Why do I have to tell her if it's for my job? Unless I'm mistaken, during all the past Christmas holidays, Fred and George go to the factory for a few hours every day."</p><p>"Yes, but we have a job. You don't," George said.</p><p>"At least for mum, being a football player is not a job, it's a hobby," Fred added.</p><p>Ron felt a pang on his chest; he decided not to comment on that, because it was true. His mother never asked him how he was doing at his career. She always asked all his brothers about their jobs, but never him. It was as if what he did was not important. The only time she seemed interested to talk about his career was whenever she was trying to convince him to resign from football and start working in the factory.</p><p>"Maybe when she sees you playing on Saturday, she'll finally get off your back," Bill commented, like he knew what Ron was thinking.</p><p>"What do you mean? I doubt mum will want to come and see me play and especially not during Weasley Week."</p><p>"Ron, I want to see you play. It's my only chance to see you playing before summer and I know that Sofia wants to see you too," Charlie said.</p><p>"Same goes for me and Fleur. Not to mention that I promised Victoire to bring her once to see you play," Bill added.</p><p>"We'll come too then. Audrey, Daniel and I. We've never been to a football game before and what could be better than seeing you play in a game," Percy said excitedly.</p><p>"Okay, guys. The whole Weasley gang is going to be there," Fred said.</p><p>"Imagine the shock to the rest of the fans when they see a pack of gingers entering the stadium. Do you think they'll run for their lives?" George joked and everybody chuckled.</p><p>Ron didn't know if he should be happy with that or not. In the five years he had been playing professionally for Millwall, the only people who were constantly in the stands from his family were Harry, Ginny, and the twins.</p><p>At first, his father came too, but he got tired of waiting for Ron to get his chance to play; after the first season, he stopped coming to his games. Ron felt relieved when his father stopped coming. Every time he saw him in the stands, he knew that he came only to see him. He felt like a disappointment every time he saw his father's face after one more game with him on the bench.</p><p>"Dinner's ready!" Victoire shouted from outside the door.</p><p>Ron walked into the dining room and spotted Hermione. She was sitting exactly where they did yesterday, and appeared to be waiting for him. He walked over to her and sat next to her. She mechanically took his hand into hers. Ron noticed the movement and felt warm inside. They were like a real couple. <em>Only we're not, because she only sees you as a friend. Don't forget that, you git</em>, he reminded himself mentally.</p><p>"Did you have fun with the girls?" he asked her taking a few calming breaths.</p><p>"Yes, it was very… interesting," she answered blushing. She couldn't help but notice that he didn't take his hand away when she held his. Instead, he started caressing her hand with his thumb.</p><p>"What do you mean?"</p><p>"I can't tell you, Ron. That's between us girls."</p><p>After a few minutes, all the adults were at the main table and the kids were at the small table right next to it. Hermione smiled when she saw the Christmas crackers next to each plate. The table was full of food that smelled wonderful and everybody was smiling and laughing.</p><p>Molly had everything prepared perfectly according to tradition. For starters, they ate smoked salmon wrapped in tasty prawns. The main course had roast turkey, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, chipolatas, Swedish turnips, roast Brussels sprouts with chestnuts, cranberry sauce, bread sauce, and a lot of different kind of pies. Hermione decided to put a little bit of everything on her plate. She wasn't that hungry, but she knew that Ron would be after finishing his own plate and he would start eating from hers as well.</p><p>Arthur rose from his seat and he raised his glass of wine in the air. "This year we have three new guests: little James, little Gabrielle and Hermione. May this be the first of many Christmas dinners they will attend. Welcome to our family and Happy Christmas," he said looking mostly at Hermione and everybody, even Muriel, raised their glasses.</p><p>Hermione gave a weak smile, because at the moment she hated herself. How could she do such an awful thing? Lying to these wonderful people? She had her head down avoiding everyone's eyes. She was ashamed of herself.</p><p>"Don't feel bad, Hermione. My father is wrong. You were a part of my family long before we came here," Ron whispered in her ear like he knew what she was thinking, kissing her cheek.</p><p>Hermione didn't know what to feel after that statement or the kiss. She felt Ron squeezing her hand gently and she gave him a smile, not removing her hands from his.</p><p>"Did you try this? It's divine!" Audrey told her eating a piece of pumpkin pie.</p><p>Hermione realized that this was not the time for these thoughts. This was her first Christmas dinner with Ron and his family, and maybe her last. She decided to relax and enjoy it, so she cut a piece too and took a bite. It was really tasty and for now that was all that mattered.</p><p>After a couple of hours, the dinner ended with an amazing Christmas pudding. Hermione wondered if this day could get any better. The food was amazing and she joked and laughed with so many people; it almost scared her how comfortable she felt. She felt like she belonged there.</p><p>"Ron, Hermione, come here for a moment," Molly said aloud from the living room.</p><p>Ron and Hermione looked at each other confused. They had no idea what Molly could possibly want. They walked together to Molly and they saw that she was holding the Christmas wishbone. She took Ron's hand and put it on one end and then she took Hermione's hand and put in on the other.</p><p>"Make a wish," she simply said.</p><p>Hermione looked Ron in the eyes and she could only wish for one thing.</p><p>
  <em>I wish it wasn't a lie.</em>
</p><p>They pulled the wishbone and Ron won. Hermione looked at him and smiled sadly. Not that she believed in this stuff, but it was like a message from God or from that dead turkey, that she shouldn't be wishing for such crazy things.</p><p>Ron hugged her and he whispered in her ear. "It can still happen, beautiful."</p><p>Hermione gave him a half-smile and nodded. <em>If you knew what I wished for, you wouldn't be saying that</em>, she thought sadly.</p><p>The next few hours were full of songs, board games, and screaming kids. For Hermione, the night couldn't get any better. She saw the twins running inside the house all excited.</p><p>"Okay, the fireworks are ready," George shouted.</p><p>"Get your lazy arses up and come outside," Fred added and everybody expect Muriel, walked hurriedly to the yard to enjoy the spectacle.</p><p>Hermione started walking too, searching for Ron, when she felt a hand entwine with hers. She didn't turn to see who it was. She knew that only one hand could cause all this warmth inside her. Biting her lip, she continued walking outside.</p><p>What the twins had prepared for the end of that perfect Christmas night was something that left Hermione speechless. There were so many different kinds of aerial fireworks, lighting the night sky. There were red, yellow, orange, green, gold and silver colored sparks everywhere in the shape of palm trees, spiders, and waterfalls. It was amazing and Hermione couldn't take her eyes from the sky.</p><p>"I think now is the perfect time," she heard Ron whispering in her ear. Her eyes widened. She knew what it meant and she knew that he was probably right. Every couple today had shared many acts of affection, but not them. Now with everybody out there with them, it was a perfect opportunity to share a kiss.</p><p>"O-okay," she stammered looking down. She was afraid that Ron might see the desire in her eyes.</p><p>Ron wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to his body. He felt her shivering, but he wasn't sure if it was from the cold or from what they were about to do.</p><p>He gently removed a curl of her hair that was falling in front of her left eye and put it behind her ear. He then touched her cheek. He saw Hermione blushing and he smiled to himself.</p><p>Hermione decided to leave behind all inhibitions and fears and just enjoy their soon-to-be first kiss. She put her hands around his neck moving her body even closer to Ron's.</p><p>She looked at him and their eyes locked. Ron started to lean in very slowly, without removing his blue eyes off hers.</p><p>Intensifying his grip on her waist, he kissed her nose first softly before going down to her red, soft lips that he was longing to kiss. Hermione closed her eyes, but Ron kept his open to see how she blushed. He brought his hand up to her right cheek and he caressed it gently with his thumb. Hermione's skin was on fire and her blush intensified.</p><p>Their lips met. Hermione felt like she was in heaven. Her lips and Ron's fit perfectly. Their mouths were moving at the same pace, without using tongue, but they both felt like their souls had just found their mate. Their kiss was gentle at first, but it got quickly more heated.</p><p>Hermione put her hands to Ron's nape and moved her fingers through his hair. She felt Ron's hands on her back with one of his hands traveling dangerously towards her lower areas. She felt her whole body shake from his touch and she could care less if what they were doing was right or wrong.</p><p>For the first time in her life, she experienced what everybody was talking about how you feel when you kiss someone you are really in love with. She felt the butterflies in her stomach, the sweatiness in her palms, the shiver down her spine, and the tingling in her toes.</p><p>They continued kissing with great enthusiasm savoring the taste of each other's lips. Ron felt her lips part slightly and her tongue lick his lower lip softly. He responded with so much intensity allowing her tongue to slip inside his mouth.</p><p>Hermione started moaning softly as the kiss became more and more intense. Their tongues were having a private dance and their hands went everywhere they could. She felt Ron's lips move from her mouth and begin traveling down her jaw and then her neck. She started moaning more loudly until she heard someone shouting at them.</p><p>"Oi! There are little kids out here! If you want to s-h-a-g, you have a whole floor to yourselves," Percy teased and everybody sniggered.</p><p>They broke away from each other, not daring to look in each other's eyes. Hermione didn't know what to do. She felt her legs shaking and every inch of her skin was on fire. She wanted to grab Ron from the neck and snog him again as hard as she could. She had to remind herself repeatedly that everything was just a farce, in order to restrain herself from attacking Ron.</p><p>She looked at Ginny and she saw how she and Harry had shocked expressions on their faces. Next to them, Molly and Arthur grinned at them just like the rest of the Weasleys.</p><p>Ron and Hermione didn't talk at all until it was time for bed. They were both feeling very nervous.</p><p>Hermione was in the bathroom brushing her teeth having no idea if they should talk about the kiss or not. She desperately wanted to know why Ron kissed her like that. She had an excuse; she was in love with him. But what was his excuse for his behavior?</p><p>She could just ask him, but she would probably humiliate herself.</p><p><em>Hey, Ron, I was wondering why you kissed me like that. Do you like me? – God, no, Hermione! I only kissed you to convince my family. I hated that kiss and besides look at you. Why would I want to kiss someone like you when I can have Lavender or Fleur? Only someone crazy would choose you over them</em>. <em>And now excuse me while I'll go and vomit. That kiss made me sick to my stomach.</em></p><p>She snapped out of her trance. <em>No, Ron would never talk to me like that. He's a gentleman and I know he likes me. Only not in the way I want</em>, she thought bitterly.</p><p>Ron was lying on his side of the bed looking at the ceiling. He watched the little glow-in-the-dark Jupiter and for a moment, he wished he was there. Actually, he wished he could be anywhere but here.</p><p>
  <em>Well done, Weasley! You did it again! I can't believe I kissed her neck and I almost grabbed her bum! She must think I'm a pervert now! How did I allow myself to take advantage of the situation? I wouldn't be surprised if she won't talk to me again or if she leaves me. Why couldn't I control myself?</em>
</p><p>Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. He heard the bathroom door opening and he took a deep breath. He hoped that Hermione wouldn't mention anything.</p><p>Hermione walked slowly to the bed and Ron eyes went immediately to her silk orange pajamas. Maybe he was fooling himself, but it seemed like it was the first time that she had left the three top buttons unbuttoned, showing more cleavage than usual.</p><p>She lay down very carefully without their bodies touching each other. Nobody spoke for a few minutes, because they were both trying to figure out how to ease the tension.</p><p>Finally, Ron spoke. "So, how was your first Weasley Christmas?"</p><p>"I loved it. Everything was perfect," she replied truthfully.</p><p>"Are you sure? Everything?" he asked her and he turned around to look her in the eyes, as if he was searching for a specific answer.</p><p>Hermione looked at him too. She wondered if he was asking her about the whole day, or if she liked the kiss too. At least that was what Hermione thought he asked her.</p><p>"Every single second," she whispered never taking her eyes off his.</p><p>They stayed like this, just staring at each other for a moment. For Hermione, it was hours, but in reality it couldn't be more than a couple of minutes. It was almost unbearable for her to be so close to him after what happened.</p><p>She wanted to taste his lips again and even though she knew how wrong that was, she wanted to feel him inside her. If he could make her feel so wonderful with a single kiss, she couldn't even imagine what she would feel if they had sex. <em>Yeah, like that is going to happen</em>, she thought, trying to remind herself of a very important detail. Ron didn't like her like that.</p><p>"When are your parents coming?" she heard Ron asking her breaking the eye contact, shaking her out of her reverie.</p><p>"Tomorrow night," she replied.</p><p>"Are we supposed to go and get them from the airport?"</p><p>"No, they are taking the car."</p><p>"It's five hours away. Are you sure Walter can stand your mother's complaints for such a long time."</p><p>"My mother is not that bad, Ron. Besides, after so many years, my father knows how to handle her."</p><p>They both smiled and realized at the same time that there was nothing else to discuss.</p><p>"Okay, then," Ron said awkwardly. He moved to Hermione and he leaned in. For a moment, Hermione thought that he was going to kiss her again. She closed her eyes waiting for his lips to press against hers. Her excitement faded away quickly though, when he only kissed her forehead.</p><p>"Good night, beautiful."</p><p>"Sweet dreams, handsome," she replied with a hint of disappointment in her voice.</p><p>Ten minutes later, Ron seemed to have fallen asleep. Hermione was still awake wondering if it would be okay to hug Ron as she fell asleep, but she decided not to wait for an invitation. She just rolled to Ron's side and rested her head on his chest. The last thing she remembered before she fell asleep was Ron's hands on her waist pulling her closer to him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. I felt nothing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Once again, Hermione woke up with her body almost on top on Ron's. She kept her eyes closed trying to enjoy it as much as she could and naughtily she smiled to herself thinking about the wonderful dream she had last night.</p><p>She dreamt about their kiss, only this time nobody interrupted them. Everybody left them outside all alone, and Hermione found the chance to unleash all her sexual desires and forbidden thoughts about her sexy, ginger best friend.</p><p>Without realizing that she was doing it, her left hand began to explore Ron's body. It started from his torso traveling down to his abs and then a little lower until her hand grabbed something odd. It was under a thick layer of cotton, but she was trying to figure out its shape.</p><p>
  <em>It's long and thick and …hard? Is this what I think it is? Oh my God, that's Ron's penis! I'm touching Ron's penis! I can't believe I'm touching his penis! Why the hell is my hand still on his penis?</em>
</p><p>She removed her hand quickly and opened her eyes. She turned to see that Ron was awake and looking at her with widened eyes.</p><p>"I'm so- sorry, Ron," she apologized while trying to get off the bed as quickly as she could. Once out of the bed, she took off running to the loo, not stopping when she heard Ron calling her name. She just locked the door behind her, and slid to the floor with her back resting against the door.</p><p>
  <em>I'm such an idiot! I can't believe I humiliated myself like that.</em>
</p><p>"Hermione, are you alright?" she heard Ron asking her from outside of the bathroom door.</p><p>"Just go away, Ron. Please leave me alone," she pleaded with him. <em>I can't look you in the eyes now.</em></p><p>"Hermione, don't tell me that you ran like that because your hand rested on my… well where it was resting."</p><p>"Don't talk, Ron! You will only make it worse," she shouted.</p><p>"Hermione, our bed is very small and our bodies are always glued to each other. It was bound to happen. I'm pretty sure I must have touched… some parts of your body too while we were sleeping," Ron said trying to make her stop feeling embarrassed.</p><p>"Why are you still talking?" she screamed at him.</p><p>"Come on, Hermione. Open the door. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. Besides, if anyone here should be embarrassed about it, it should be me. I was the one with the morning stiffness, not you," he tried to joke.</p><p>Hermione's mind traveled a few minutes back when she felt his privates in her hand. She knew that guys usually wake up with a boner, but she had never experienced it before today. Maybe she was overreacting, but what was she supposed to do? She was touching the erect penis of the guy she was secretly in love with.</p><p>"Ron, can we pretend it never happened?" she asked him with a pleading voice.</p><p>"What never happened?" he replied and Hermione sighed in relief. She knew that they probably would think about it, but they were pretending about so many things right now that one more shouldn't be a problem.</p><p>She reluctantly opened the door and walked out of the loo. Ron was right outside, but she didn't dare to look him in the eyes.</p><p>"You can use the loo now if you want. I'll go get dressed in our room," she said fast and she walked past him hurriedly to their room.</p><p>Ron watched her avoiding his gaze and he sighed. Today he wanted to take her into town to show her where he grew up, but his small head between his legs ruined everything. He walked into the loo and locked the door behind him. He stood in front of the mirror; he looked at his pants and he started cursing himself.</p><p>
  <em>Well done, Weasley! , Once again, you managed to humiliate yourself in front of Hermione! I wouldn't blame her if she decided to start sleeping in another room now. Who would want to sleep with a horny pervert? Bugger! Bugger! Bugger!</em>
</p><p>He kept cursing for a few minutes until he decided that it had been enough time and Hermione would be ready by now. He left the loo and he walked slowly to their room where he saw Hermione sitting on the bed looking at the floor.</p><p>"Hermione, listen. I was hoping you would like to come-"</p><p>"I'll see you downstairs," she simply said and she left as fast as she could without making eye contact.</p><p>Ron watched her leave and he sat on the bed defeated. "…with me, so I could show you the town," he finished his sentence, sighing.</p><p>He wasn't really surprised when she didn't look or talk to him at breakfast. She kept herself busy talking with Fleur and then she left quickly to see little Gabrielle, but Ron knew it was just an excuse to stay away from him.</p><hr/><p>Hermione had spent an hour playing with Gabrielle, but she couldn't concentrate enough and she left to go to her and Ron's room. She ended up lying down on the bed and staring at the ceiling.</p><p>It was the first time since they got there that she was feeling so low. She had neither talked to Ron during breakfast nor saw him after and she missed him. She blamed herself for the reappearance of the awkwardness. Although Ron tried to talk to her before they went to breakfast, he didn't push her to talk to him after.</p><p>She wanted to see him and apologize about her overreaction over what happened in the morning, but she didn't know how. She heard some noises coming from the hallway and she slid off the bed; thinking Ron was coming, she tried to prepare what she wanted to say.</p><p>She was surprised though when she heard another door opening and not hers. She walked outside the room and she noticed that the door to Ginny's old room was open. She went there and found Ginny resting on her bed, holding what seemed to be a dolphin stuffed animal.</p><p>Ginny turned to see her and smiled. It was clear from her face that she was there reminiscing about her childhood years.</p><p>"This is where I kissed Harry for the first time. You want to hear about it?" she heard Ginny asking her and Hermione nodded and sat next to her in bed, so she could enjoy the story better.</p><p>"It was summer and Harry always spent his summers with us since he and Ron became friends. I remember the first time Ron said he invited a friend from school for summer holidays. I was mad at him, because summer was always our time of the year. We would spend all of our time together and suddenly I felt like he had replaced me with some unknown bloke."</p><p>Hermione smiled thinking that there was a time that Ginny was happy to spend time with Ron. Knowing her for the last 5 years, she knew that Ginny and Ron had a tendency to argue very often and they only saw each other once or twice a week.</p><p>"Then Harry came and I saw him for the first time. He was so… short," she said and both girls laughed.</p><p>"I mean, I was ten and I was taller than him, but he was also very cute. He wore the worst pair of glasses, worse than the ones he wears now if you believe that, but under those glasses there were the most beautiful emerald green eyes I've ever seen in my life."</p><p>Hermione loved to hear Ginny talking with so much love about her husband. It was so beautiful that after fourteen years she was still in love with him.</p><p>"When I met you two, you were already engaged, and strangely you've never told me how you and Harry got together. You've told me that it happened when you were in high school and he was ready to go to college, but I don't know any more details," she told Ginny curiously.</p><p>"I fell in love with Harry the minute I saw him, but for Harry it took him until he was sixteen to realize that he fancied me too. My feelings for him were obvious. I got tired of waiting for him, so I started dating a classmate, Michael Corner. Harry found out, got jealous and didn't talk to me until it was summer again. I knew it was the last summer we would spend together, since we were going to move to London. I had to break-up with Michael a few months earlier and decided to make my move before it was too late," Ginny said and Hermione waited with excitement to hear what Ginny did.</p><p><em>I guess she didn't try to humiliate herself with massages or jerking him off in the morning</em>.</p><p>"I waited for the perfect opportunity and finally, one night after a lot of practice in front of my mirror, I did it. He was playing chess with Ron in his room and I marched in, grabbed him by the hand and forced him to follow me here. I confessed my feelings and then I kissed him. I was so nervous that I felt I was going to pass out from embarrassment. I couldn't believe I was actually doing it."</p><p>
  <em>Just like that? That's not right. You don't just confess your feelings and kiss the other without a warning. That's absurd! I could never do that.</em>
</p><p>"But then the most amazing thing happened."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"He kissed me back," Ginny said biting her lower lip, like she was reliving that memory.</p><p>
  <em>He kissed her back? Just like in the movies? Of course, he did. She said that he had feelings for her. It's not like me and Ron. If I ever do that to Ron, he would run away, screaming to get away from him</em>
</p><p>"You are so lucky you've found him. Not everybody is as lucky as you to be with the person they love," she said sadly.</p><p>"Are you one of the people that can't be with the person they love?" Ginny asked her and Hermione felt her cheeks going red.</p><p>She didn't want to answer that. She decided to change the topic of conversation.</p><p>"What other good memories do you have about this room?" she asked her and Ginny smiled, obviously noticing that Hermione never answered her question.</p><p>"I have so many good memories from this room, Hermione. I'm going to tell you my favorite memory of Ron. Did he ever tell you about the time I opened the window and I tried to jump, but at the last second he caught me?" Ginny asked her and she looked at her in shock.</p><p>"Why were you trying to jump? Were you trying to kill yourself?"</p><p>"God, no, Hermione! I was seven years old. I just wanted to see if I could fly."</p><p>"You thought you could fly?" she asked her and started laughing really hard.</p><p>"Hey, it's not my fault. You should blame the twins."</p><p>
  <em>Of course, I should have known that the twins would be behind that.</em>
</p><p>"We saw this Superman film and the twins told me that every boy can fly, but I couldn't because I was a girl and girls are not supposed to fly. They told me that that's why they called him Super-man, but I just wanted to prove them wrong. Luckily Ron grabbed me before I jumped."</p><p>Hermione had stopped laughing and strangely felt very proud of little Ron for saving his sister.</p><p>"As you can imagine, I wasn't really pleased about what he did. I was yelling at him 'I can fly. let me fly!' He yelled back at me that I'm not Superman and if I was, my kryptonite would surely be my stupidity," Ginny said and Hermione had to smile at that.</p><p>"We started wrestling and that's how our mother found us. I told her that he called me stupid and surprisingly Ron didn't say anything to defend himself. My mother thought that it was a sign of guilt and she punished him by having him stay in his room for a week."</p><p>Hermione noticed that Ginny had a sad expression on her face, like it wasn't a really pleasant memory.</p><p>"It was one of the worst weeks of my life. Ron and I were very close. We used to share this room and we always played together, but then I had to spend a week in the middle of the summer without him," she heard Ginny say with a sad voice and Hermione realized why she looked so depressed.</p><p>"It's my best memory of Ron, not because he saved my life or he took the whole blame without saying anything. It's because during that week I went to his room every night, sneaking into his bed to lie next to him, and he never got angry. He just let me sleep there next to him, as if he was telling me in his own way that I could always count on him," Ginny said wiping a tear that was ready to roll down her cheek.</p><p>"Isn't it ironic how I couldn't spend a week without him or any of my brothers for that matter, and now I can't spend a week with all of them without going mental," Ginny joked trying to lighten the mood and Hermione gave her a smile.</p><p>
  <em>I wish I had a brother or a sister, even if they would make me mental. It's definitely better than being an only child.</em>
</p><p>"Are your parents coming tonight?" Ginny asked her, changing the subject and she nodded.</p><p>"They are going to be here in a few hours. Although I know that my mother will go straight to bed to get some rest, your mother insisted that we hold dinner until they arrive."</p><p>"So, are you and Ron are going to share another passionate snog in front of your parents too? Because I can tell that you two succeeded in convincing my parents with your little act last night."</p><p>
  <em>Why, Ginny? Why did you have to remind me about that kiss?</em>
</p><p>"It wasn't passionate. It was… it was just a kiss," she lied. <em>Yeah, just a simple mind-blowing kiss</em>, she added mentally.</p><p>Hermione looked at Ginny who gave her a look that clearly showed that she didn't believe her. She debated whether lying to Ginny was really a good idea. After all, she was her best female friend and she really needed to tell someone about her feelings.</p><p>"Okay, you were right. That day in the restaurant, you were right," Hermione said as a whisper.</p><p>She saw the confused look on Ginny's face and she decided to tell her everything. "I need to tell someone or else I'll go mental!" she pleaded with Ginny, while unwelcome tears started rolling down her cheeks.</p><p>Ginny moved to her and hugged her tightly. "Okay, Hermione, tell me everything. I'm here for you. You know that, right?"</p><p>After a few moments, Hermione wiped her tears away, looked at Ginny, and started explaining everything to her.</p><p>"Remember the story Ron told about how we spent a whole night talking on the phone?" she asked Ginny and she nodded. "It happened."</p><p>"You mean to tell me that Ron came the next day and he asked you to be his girlfriend?" Ginny asked with a shocked expression on her face.</p><p>Hermione shook her head. "No, that part didn't happen. I meant that we did spend the night talking," she said and Ginny gave her a nod to tell her that she understood what she meant.</p><p>"But it was so special in part of how we were with each other at the time. You remember that I was dating Viktor Krum for a while?" she asked Ginny and she nodded.</p><p>"Of course, I remember, Hermione. Ron made sure every time he paid us a visit to mention what a git he was and how you shouldn't go out with him anymore. By the way he was acting, you could tell how jealous he was."</p><p>
  <em>He complained about my relationship with Viktor to Ginny and Harry? Could he really be jealous? No, Ginny probably misunderstood.</em>
</p><p>"Anyway, Ron had expressed his dislike over Viktor to me, but I ignored him and kept going out with him for almost three months. Then I caught him cheating on me and we broke up."</p><p>"He cheated on you? What a bastard!" Ginny screamed angrily.</p><p>"It doesn't matter, Ginny. I never fancied him anyway. I'm still trying to understand how I let myself be with him in the first place," she said truthfully.</p><p>"As you can imagine, my relationship with Viktor caused a lot of problems in my relationship with Ron. We started bickering more often than usual, there was always a tension between us, and in a way we stopped being what we used to be," she said with a sad tone in her voice.</p><p>"The night I caught Viktor with that girl, I realized what I had almost done. Ron was trying to warn me, but I didn't listen. I didn't feel hurt from what Viktor did, but I felt the regret in my heart when I came home and saw Ron's face. I hugged him so hard, that he couldn't breathe and he just held me there while I was shedding all my tears. The tears were only for him… for what I did to him, because I knew how much I had hurt him," she said. She started reliving all those feelings from that day again, but after a few deep breaths, she managed to get her emotions under control.</p><p>"The phone call happened a couple of weeks later. We were on better terms, but there was still a shadow over our relationship. He called me and we talked about everything and nothing. It was perfect," she said biting her lower lip.</p><p>"I can tell you now that it was at that moment when I fell in love with him. I hadn't realized it until about a month ago when my mother visited us. Ron leaned to whisper something in my ear and I closed my eyes wishing that he would kiss me."</p><p>Ginny stared at her with a surprised expression and Hermione knew that it was due to the revelation that her feelings for Ron were not as newfound as she might have thought they were.</p><p>"There were some moments of self-humiliation where I tried to win his attention after that. I even tried to seduce him, but apparently I was unsuccessful," Hermione said with a mix of amusement and sadness.</p><p>"I know he doesn't see me like that. I'm trying… I'm trying to convince my mind to stop having these crazy thoughts. I'm trying to control my heartbeat every time he's near me. I'm trying to relax my body every time he touches me and I go rigid. I'm trying not to blush every time he calls me beautiful. I'm trying, Ginny. I really am, but it's an impossible task," she said feeling her lower lip starting to tremble.</p><p>"I love him more than anything, even more than myself. I think he's my Harry."</p><p>She put a hand on her mouth to drown the sound of her sobs, but she couldn't do anything because the tears in her eyes once again started rolling down without her being able to stop them. Ginny wrapped her arms once again around Hermione's shoulders trying to soothe her.</p><p>"Ssshh, it's okay. Don't cry, Hermione."</p><p>"Ginny, what can I do, but cry? Do you know how it feels to sleep in the same bed with the person you love and not be able to do anything about it? Do you know how hard it is to pretend to be a happy couple when all you want is for it to be true? I even wished it when your mother gave us the wishbone. I wished that all of this wasn't a lie. That's all I want," she said, whispering the last sentence.</p><p>Ginny, too, felt tears in her eyes. She remembered the time when Harry didn't give a hoot about her and how much pain that had caused her. But she also knew that this wasn't the case here. Ginny was absolutely sure that Ron was in love with Hermione. All they had to do was admit it to each other.</p><p>"Then go for it, Hermione. Don't tell <em>me</em> about your feelings. Tell <em>Ron</em>."</p><p>"I can't tell him, Ginny; don't you understand? I can't afford to lose him as a friend. He's too important to risk it all for…-"</p><p>"For love?" Ginny finished Hermione's sentence. "Hermione, I don't know what's the right answer. I do know, though, that Ron is crazy about you."</p><p>"He's not-"</p><p>"Let me finish, Hermione," Ginny interrupted again raising her finger. "Ron is my brother and I think I know him very well. When I'm saying that he's crazy about you, I mean it. I see the way he looks at you. He just can't take his eyes off you. You're both so obvious about your feelings, but so oblivious to realize how the other feels."</p><p>Hermione stared at Ginny, but shook her head. She didn't want Ginny to give her hope.</p><p>
  <em>She doesn't know what she's talking about… just like Mrs. Weasley, and the rest of the girls. Ron is not in love with me. He's NOT in love with me.</em>
</p><p>"Not to mention the kiss last night, Hermione. It wasn't just a kiss and you know it," Ginny said with a meaningful glare.</p><p>
  <em>Okay, she's right about that. But she doesn't understand that while it really meant a lot to me, it was just a kiss for Ron. If he liked it, then he would have kissed me later in bed. He must have seen the lust in my eyes, but he was just not interested in me.</em>
</p><p>"All I want is for both of you to be happy. After last night, I have no doubt that you're meant to be together. Just leave all your worries and fears behind, and be true to yourself," Ginny said, giving her a kiss on the cheek as encouragement.</p><p>"I have to go check on my hubby and son now. You want to come? They're probably outside in the playground. Harry wanted James to have some laughs. Ron's there too."</p><p>Hermione considered going with her, but she wasn't ready to see Ron. She still felt too embarrassed about what had happened in the morning.</p><p>"No, you go ahead. I'll just go and see if the room my parents are going to stay in is ready, alright?" she said and with a quick hug, Ginny left the room.</p><p>She stayed on Ginny's bed for a few minutes, wondering if Ginny was right. Could she really leave all fear and doubt behind her and take such a huge risk?</p><p>
  <em>No. Ginny speaks like that, but she doesn't understand. Just because she risked getting herself humiliated at sixteen, doesn't mean that it's the same situation that I am in. She asks me to risk everything, ignoring that if I end up losing Ron as a friend, I'll be all alone again. No, I can't lose him. I prefer at least to have Ron as a friend, than no Ron at all.</em>
</p><p>With that thought, she left Ginny's room and went to see if the room that her parents were going to stay in was ready.</p><hr/><p>At the same time that Ginny and Hermione were sharing memories, Ron was outside with Harry who had little James in his arms; James looked like he was enjoying being outside and seeing all the kids running and playing around. Ron was drinking his favourite iced tea and he was trying really hard to stop thinking about his morning incident with Hermione.</p><p>"Give him to me, Harry," Ron heard Katie asking Harry.</p><p>She took James and started holding him tightly. Katie took James to a swing and once on it, James face was full of joy; it was obvious how much he loved that.</p><p>"Can I ask you a question, Ron?" Harry asked him and Ron turned his attention to him.</p><p>"Sure."</p><p>"I know that after you met Hermione, she somehow became your best friend, but I'd like to think that I'm still your best best friend," Harry said and Ron nodded feeling very confused.</p><p>"Are you in love with Hermione?" he asked him simply and Ron almost choked on his iced tea.</p><p>"What?" he almost shrieked.</p><p>"You heard me."</p><p>"Why are you asking me that?"</p><p>"Because like i said I'm your best friend and I care about you. Also because I noticed that every time Hermione walks in the room, that stupid grin appears on your face and I just want to know why."</p><p>"That doesn't mean I'm in love with her," Ron snapped.</p><p><em>Yeah, that's right. Keep it together. Whatever he says, just deny it</em>, he told himself.</p><p>"What about that kiss?" Harry asked raising his eyebrows.</p><p>
  <em>Not the kiss, you bloody midget! Why did you have to remind me of that?</em>
</p><p>"What about it? It had to look realistic that's why I made it look passionate," Ron lied, looking away from him.</p><p>"So you're not in love with Hermione?" Harry asked him once again, but Ron never gave him a verbal answer.</p><p>
  <em>Why can't I deny that? Come on, Ron. You can do it. Just look at him and say you're not in love with Hermione. Tell him that you don't see how beautiful she is. Tell him you don't think she has the cutest smile. Tell him you don't stop breathing whenever she looks you in the eye. Tell him that you're not…</em>
</p><p>He couldn't even finish the sentence in his mind. He turned to look at Harry and he thought that maybe it would be a good idea to tell someone about his feelings for Hermione and who better than his best friend.</p><p>"Bloody hell, Ron. Why didn't you tell me anything?" Harry asked him loudly, although it was obvious that he understood what Ron wanted to say just by the look in his eyes.</p><p>"I don't know, Harry. Look at it from my point of view for a moment, alright? Hermione is my best friend. I shouldn't be having these kinds of feelings about her, can't you see that?" he said with a desperate voice, running a hand through his hair.</p><p>Harry shook his head. "Actually I can't see that, Ron. There is nothing wrong with you fancying Hermione," he said and Ron stared at him like he had just said the most absurd thing possible.</p><p>"There is nothing wrong? Are you listening to yourself?"</p><p>"Are <em>you</em> listening to yourself? What's wrong with Hermione?"</p><p>
  <em>Bloody hell, is this boy daft?</em>
</p><p>"Harry, focus! This is Hermione we are talking about. You know, the girl I share a flat with over the last five years," he said like pointing out some huge detail, but Harry just kept staring at him, like he was trying to solve a difficult mathematical problem.</p><p>"I still am not sure what the problem is."</p><p>
  <em>Okay, he's definitely daft!</em>
</p><p>"Harry, are you daft, or are you just pretending to be? Seriously, you don't see anything wrong with me being in love with Hermione?" Ron asked him and Harry just shrugged.</p><p>"Sod it, you'll never understand," Ron said sighing.</p><p>"Then make me understand, Ron."</p><p>Ron looked at him. Harry was and still is his best friend. He wanted to tell someone about his feelings for Hermione and who could ever be better than Harry.</p><p>"Remember the story I told about how I fell in love with Hermione?" he asked Harry.</p><p>"The phone call from Cardiff story? Yeah, I remember."</p><p>"It was true. I didn't even know that it was true until I said it out loud," Ron said and Harry looked surprised.</p><p>"You mean to tell me that you've been in love with Hermione for the last two years?" he asked Ron and he nodded sadly.</p><p>"Ever since that day, I realized how much Hermione means to me. I realise now that the reason i always want to be around her isn't just because she's my friend. I think i'm in love with her but it's hard knowing our situation to admit it to myself," he said resting his head on the palm of his hands.</p><p>"Harry, I can't go and tell her, and risk losing her. She's too important for me. I don't think I can live without her," he whispered and he felt Harry's hand on his shoulder.</p><p>"I think you should tell her," he heard Harry saying after a couple of minutes in silence.</p><p>"Are you mental? Didn't you just hear what I just said? I'm in love with Hermione, but I prefer having her in my life as a friend instead of having her leave me because I scared her off," he said truthfully.</p><p>"No, I think you should tell her, because I think that she has feelings for you too," Harry said smiling.</p><p>"Of course, she does. I know she loves me. I'm her best friend…</p><p>"I don't think she loves you just as a friend, Ron. I see the way she looks at you. I know you don't believe me or you don't want to believe me, but it's the truth."</p><p>"You don't know what you're talking about," Ron snapped at him, irritated.</p><p>
  <em>I can't believe him! He's talking like he has any experience with girls. He only dated two girls in his life and now he thinks he knows everything about women?</em>
</p><p>"I don't know what I'm talking about? Then why did she respond like that to your kiss? Don't tell me she was just pretending because she wanted it to look realistic."</p><p>"I don't know, Harry. Maybe she felt nothing and was just pretending. Maybe she hated that kiss, but she couldn't say or do anything because she didn't want to embarrass me. Have you ever thought about that?" he asked Harry angrily.</p><p>
  <em>Cause I did. I even dreamed about asking her if she liked our kiss and she just laughed at me. And if she laughed in my dream, I can't even imagine what she would do in reality.</em>
</p><p>"Why are you always thinking negatively, Ron? Why do you always assume that you're not good enough? It's the same story, over and over. Just like you refused to believe that Melissa Davies, the most popular girl in high school, could ever be attracted to you, because you were just a poor ginger. When you walked over to her the day of that bet, she was looking at you like you were a rock star, hoping you would really ask her out." Harry said and Ron raised his eyebrows.</p><p>"Right, Melissa Davies liked me? Come on, Harry." Ron snorted.</p><p>"She came over to talk to me the next day asking what you had wanted to talk to her about. It was obvious that she wanted me to tell her that you were going to ask her out. Because I remembered that you had told me that you didn't fancy her, I thought it would be better to lie to her. I told her that you wanted to borrow a pen, but you remembered at the last minute that you had an extra pen in your locker."</p><p>"That was the best excuse you could come up with?" Ron asked him, still not believing what he was hearing.</p><p>"Hey, she took me by surprise, alright? Besides you didn't want her, but all the rest of us would just pray to get a smile from her. I didn't know what to tell her, so I said the first thing that came to mind. She gave me her number to give to you, in case you wanted something else from her and she left."</p><p>Ron eyes widened. "She gave you her number to give to me? Why didn't you ever give it to me?"</p><p>"I used it to call her myself. I told her that you wanted to meet her in the football field later that night and then I faked that you were sick and I offered to accompany her to dinner."</p><p>
  <em>Bloody snake! He violated the bro code!</em>
</p><p>"You went on a date with a girl that apparently fancied me, behind my back?"</p><p>"I wish. She realized what I was trying to do, so she slapped me and left," Harry said embarrassed.</p><p>Ron started laughing. "Oh, yes! There is a God after all! You deserve that for being a sneaky backstabbing git!" he said raising his fist in the air, in a victorious way.</p><p>"Backstabbing? You didn't even like her?" Harry shouted, trying to make Ron understand.</p><p>"It makes no difference, Judas."</p><p>"Okay, forget about Melissa. That wasn't the point I was trying to make, Ron."</p><p>Ron just gave him a nod to continue, realizing that all the talk about Melissa Davies was getting off the topic.</p><p>"Why are you always afraid, Ron? Why are you afraid to accept that Hermione might have some romantic feelings for you? Why are you so sure that Hermione doesn't fancy you? Why?" Harry yelled at him, but not so loud that anyone else outside would hear him.</p><p>Ron was taken aback by the sudden outburst from his friend. He just stared at Harry who had a very serious expression on his face unable to find an answer. After a few minutes of silence, Harry seemed to soften a bit.</p><p>"Listen, Ron. I'm sorry. I know that you must be feeling very awkward about this situation. I understand that," he said putting a hand on Ron's shoulder.</p><p>"I want to tell her, Harry. I really do, even if I know that she'll reject me and leave me. I want to tell her, but I'm scared. I'm not ready. I don't know if I'll ever be ready to tell her," he confessed to Harry rubbing his hands on his face, trying to hide how emotional he was at the moment.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Ron, but are you under the impression that you two are going to be flatmates for the rest of your lives? If you don't do something, then sooner or later Hermione will find a guy to marry and move on with her life. What will you do then? Are you still going to pretend that you only see her as a friend and be happy for her?"</p><p>Ron stared at him. Harry's words were more hurtful than Harry could imagine. Of course, he was having these thoughts. The possibility of Hermione finding another guy, getting married and leaving him in the flat alone was his worst nightmare and unfortunately for him it had already started.</p><p>He still remembered that Hermione had told him that she was in love with another bloke. Ron knew that sooner or later that git will realize how special Hermione is and was going to take her away from him.</p><p>"There's a guy already. Hermione confessed me the other day that she's into this bloke and... i guess that's it," he added defeated.</p><p>"Could this guy she was talking about be you?"</p><p>Harry's question took him by surprise. Not once did he wondered if the mysterious guy was him. He decided that it was just a silly thought but before he had the chance to reply, Ginny came over to them.</p><p>"Hey, baby, where have you been?" Harry asked her giving her a soft peck on the lips.</p><p>"I was in my old room, having a party with Hermione and my memories," she said smiling at him.</p><p>"Where's Hermione now?"</p><p>"She said she was going to check if her parents' room is ready."</p><p>Ron didn't think twice before turning and leaving as fast as he could to see her. He started searching all the new rooms, because he had no idea where Hermione's parents were supposed to sleep.</p><p>After ten minutes of checking every bedroom twice, he gave up the effort. He was ready to leave when he walked outside the playroom and saw that the door was open. He walked in the room and he saw Hermione sitting in the bar with a glass of whiskey in front of her.</p><p>"Are you planning to meet your parents wasted, Hermione?" he asked her walking towards her and Hermione startled.</p><p>"What are you doing here?" she asked him, like he had just caught her naked in the bathroom.</p><p>"Do you want me to leave?" Ron asked her in an angry tone, feeling offended.</p><p>"Yes… No. I mean… stay. Please," she said stammering.</p><p>Ron relaxed a bit and sat in a chair next to her. "Why are you drinking? I know you hate it."</p><p>"I don't know. I was just walking outside the room. I remembered that there is alcohol in here and I decided to have a drink," she excused herself.</p><p>"I didn't ask how you came here. I asked why are you drinking."</p><p>"Relax, Ron; it is just a drink. I didn't come here to get myself wasted. My mother is coming and I needed to release some tension with a shot of alcohol. Besides I didn't even take a sip," she said pointing to the full glass and that was enough to convince Ron.</p><p>"Anyway, I'm done now and I'm going back to our room to take a shower before dinner."</p><p>Ron followed her, but they both had to stop when they were in the doorway and heard two kids shouting.</p><p>"Don't move!" Adam and Peter cried in unison.</p><p>"There is mistletoe over your heads," Peter said pointing to the plant hung on top of the doorway.</p><p>"You have to kiss," Adam added smirking and then he and Peter ran outside.</p><p>Ron and Hermione looked up and saw the mistletoe, and then they looked at each other blushing.</p><p>"They must have forgotten this," Ron said awkwardly.</p><p>Both of them turned their gaze to the floor trying to avoid looking the other in the eyes. Neither of them knew what they were supposed to do. Christmas was over, so they weren't really obligated to follow the tradition, but the opportunity to feel each other's lips again was a huge temptation.</p><p>"Should we… kiss?" Hermione asked him, without looking at him, rubbing her hands nervously.</p><p>"I don't know. I mean it's not like we are required to kiss. It's not like its Christmas or anything," he replied as nervous as she.</p><p><em>Oh, he doesn't want to. Of course, he doesn't. Why would he anyway?</em> Hermione thought sadly.</p><p>"Yes, you're probably right," she said swallowing hard, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.</p><p>
  <em>If I didn't know any better, I would say that Hermione is… sad? Could that mean that she might actually want to kiss me? Oh, well, taking a small risk wouldn't hurt.</em>
</p><p>"On the other hand, it is mistletoe. Ignoring it would mean bad luck and I'm not sure we want that," Ron said as a lame excuse, but surprisingly for him he saw Hermione raising her head to look at him with a glimpse of excitement in her eyes.</p><p>
  <em>Yes, go with that, Hermione. Ron was always superstitious and he would do anything to avoid bad luck.</em>
</p><p>"No, we definitely don't want bad luck, especially now with our parents here or you with your game on Saturday," she said trying to convince Ron.</p><p>
  <em>Okay, she bought it. Now make your move, Weasley.</em>
</p><p>"Okay then, I suppose we should kiss, only if you're okay with this though. I don't want you to feel weird or if you-"</p><p>"No, I'm okay," she interrupted him.</p><p>For the first time, their eyes locked and neither of them was strong enough to take their eyes off the other.</p><p>Hermione was sure that Ron would have noticed the pink colour on her cheeks and her fast breathing. She was even afraid that Ron would be able to hear her heart that was beating like crazy.</p><p>"It's a good thing that we've done this already and we felt nothing, right?" Ron asked her nervously, his face starting to get closer to hers.</p><p>Hermione put her hands on his chest and stood on her tiptoes. Her face was now at the same level as Ron's, where she could feel his warm breath; she never took her eyes off him.</p><p>"Yeah, nothing," she whispered and with an unknown courage that she had no idea she had, she closed her eyes and kissed Ron softly on the lips.</p><p>Ron didn't hesitate for a second before starting to respond to the kiss. He wrapped his hand around her waist, pulling her closer to him and he started kissing her just as tenderly as she did.</p><p>Even though the kiss was gentler this time and there was no ferocity in it, it held a stronger sense of passion. It felt like both of them wanted to say a lot more in this kiss.</p><p>Hermione moved her hands around his neck following the desire to caress his soft ginger hair, just like she wanted to the previous night. Inside, she felt so warm and once again felt butterflies dancing in her stomach.</p><p>They broke apart slowly. Hermione kept her eyes closed like she didn't wanted to wake up from a beautiful dream. She didn't know how to describe that feeling in detail, but during those few seconds that Ron's lips were on hers, she felt complete.</p><p>Ron had his eyes open staring at Hermione. She had her eyes closed and Ron could see that just like him, her face was all pink and she was breathing really fast. For a moment, he allowed himself to believe that there might be a chance that Harry was right and Hermione did have deeper feelings for him.</p><p>At the same time, Hermione finally opened her eyes and she saw Ron staring at her with a flushed face. Their faces were still only inches apart and for a moment Hermione thought to follow Ginny's advice and leave all her fears behind. She wanted to kiss Ron again, but this time she didn't want it to be a gentle kiss. She wanted to crash her lips on Ron's with such a force that she would make his lips bleed.</p><p>She was almost ready to do it when she suddenly remembered what Ron told her before they kissed and frowned.</p><p>
  <em>He said he didn't feel anything. Oh, God; what have I done! He said it and I didn't listen. I was focused on staring at his blue eyes and getting excited over the prospect of another kiss and I forgot to listen. He didn't feel anything. He didn't feel anything and I tricked him into kissing me again. I'm such an awful friend!</em>
</p><p>She was on the brink of tears. She moved away from Ron's arm that she hadn't realized was still on her waist.</p><p>
  <em>Okay, Hermione, don't cry now. Just lie and get the hell out of here.</em>
</p><p>Taking a deep breath, she looked at Ron with the most icy look she could manage. "Yes, Ron, you were right. I just kissed you and I felt nothing. I'll go take my shower now. Goodbye," she said and hurriedly left him almost running.</p><p>Ron felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. He just stood there unable to move or even breathe. He couldn't believe how in a minute everything was ruined. One moment he was kissing the girl he loves and the next, he was hearing her saying the words that he was most afraid of.</p><p>With heavy feet, he walked slowly back outside. He put on his happy façade, faked a smile, and sat next to Percy and Charlie. He pretended to listen to their conversation with great interest, when in reality he was trying desperately to take his mind off Hermione.</p><p>Hermione ran to their room and collapsed on the bed unable to hold her tears anymore. She hugged Ron's pillow tightly and started sobbing. Her heart was in so much pain that she had no idea how she could stop it. She sobbed so hard and for so long that exhaustion took her over and she fell asleep clutching Ron's pillow to her chest.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. A big decision</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ron was outside with his brothers trying to get his mind off what happened in the playroom and the pain that it caused him. Luckily, for him, the twins decided to show them a new product they were developing. These gloves were perfect to scare people when they least expected it, because when you wore these gloves and clapped, they would make a really loud noise like firecrackers. He had a really good time testing the gloves and scaring his favorite niece, Victoire. He thanked the twins mentally for this distraction.</p><p>A couple of hours later, Molly came running outside and brought him back to reality. "Ron, where is Hermione? Her parents are here," she said short of breath.</p><p><em>Emma Granger is here. Just what I needed right now, </em>Ron thought sighing.</p><p>"Okay, Mum. Breathe! Hermione is upstairs taking a shower. I'll go and get her. You just relax," he said, trying to calm his mother down and then left hurriedly to call Hermione.</p><p>He climbed the stairs quickly, but when he reached his room, he was hesitant to enter. He wasn't sure if he could look at her after what happened, because he was afraid of how he would react to seeing her again. He reluctantly opened the door and walked into the room slowly. To his surprise, he found Hermione sleeping in the bed.</p><p>He walked over to her and saw her sleeping figure clutching his pillow tightly to her chest. After a closer look, he could see some tear tracks on her cheeks.</p><p>
  <em>Are those tears? Did she cry herself to sleep? It definitely doesn't look like she took a shower. She is wearing the same clothes as before and I don't smell her vanilla-honey shampoo in her hair. What happened to her?</em>
</p><p>He sat next to her and gently put his thumbs below her eyes trying to wipe away the tears marks. Hermione seemed to sense his touch and her body shivered. He considered removing his hand, but then he felt Hermione's hand on top of his, caressing it gently. She still had her eyes closed and Ron assumed that this was something that probably felt good to her in her dreams.</p><p>Hermione felt a warm hand on her cheek. It made her shiver to her spine, but she didn't open her eyes. She knew it was Ron. She woke up when Ron sat on the bed next to her, but she pretended to be asleep because she wasn't sure how she could manage to look him in the eyes without bursting into a fit of sobs.</p><p>She sensed that Ron was slowly removing his hand from her cheek, but she didn't want the feeling to end, so she used her own hand to keep his on her cheek. Touching his skin with her fingers was driving all her senses crazy.</p><p>A part of her wanted to take his hand, place it on her heart, and tell him how that little part of her body belonged to him now. On the other hand, the naughty part of her wanted to take his hand, put it between her thighs, and show him how wet his gentle caresses made her.</p><p>Once again, in the end, the third part of her, the coward, won. She just kept pretending that she was sleeping. Suddenly she felt something warm by her ear and his sweet voice whispering something to her.</p><p>"Hermione, wake up. Your parents are here."</p><p>Immediately, her eyes opened wide. "They are here already? What time is it?" she asked feeling panicked as she slid off the bed.</p><p>"A little after six."</p><p>He watched as she searched the closet for something to wear and finally pulled out blue jeans and a grey jumper. He couldn't help when his eyes fell once again to hers. She was a mess.</p><p>"Hermione, were you crying?" he asked with an obvious tone of worry in his voice.</p><p>"Not now, Ron. I need to get ready," she said, walking out of the room and into the bathroom without giving him a second glance.</p><p>Hermione got dressed quickly and then she saw her reflection in the mirror. She was shocked at what she saw. Her eyes were red and puffy from all her crying and she knew that no make-up in the world could manage to hide that.</p><p>
  <em>Oh God. How can I let my parents see me like this? They'll know that something is wrong.</em>
</p><p>She started washing her face hoping that would help and it did to some extent. After that, she applied some make-up and then stood in front of the mirror and started smiling. She wanted to practice her expression for a minute before going downstairs. She wanted to appear happy, not only for her parents, but also for Ron. She didn't want him to suspect anything.</p><p><em>Oh, whom am I kidding? He already saw me! He knows I've been crying, but he would never suspect that he's the cause of my misery</em>, she thought sadly.</p><p>She walked out of the bathroom and saw Ron waiting outside for her. It was impossible for both of them to maintain eye contact for more than a few seconds.</p><p>"Are you ready for this?" Ron asked her awkwardly.</p><p>She walked over to him and without showing any emotion, took his hand into hers and entwined her fingers with his.</p><p>"The show must go on," she simply said and started walking downstairs dragging Ron with her.</p><p>Hermione was really happy to see her parents again. Phone calls and video calls via internet weren't the same as touching them and hugging them. She especially missed her father, whom she hadn't seen for almost two months. After her parents hugged and kissed Hermione back with great warmth, she stepped back so they could greet Ron.</p><p>"Nice to see you, Walter," Ron said enthusiastically making a move to shake the hand of Hermione's father.</p><p>"Good to see you too, my boy," he replied, ignoring Ron's offered hand as he pulled him into a hug and patted him on the back.</p><p>Ron and Walter had a very good relationship. Walter was always very fond of Ron because they shared the same passion about football. He was an amateur footballer when he was young, but he had to drop it when he went to Dentistry school. He once told Ron that in a way, he saw Ron as a younger version of himself; he was really happy when he found out that he and his daughter had started dating.</p><p>"I can't wait for you to tell me about your last games. I tried to convince Emma to come and watch you, but my wife is not very fond of sports, as you might be aware of," he joked earning a smile from Ron.</p><p>"I just think that it is a waste of time to come all the way from Manchester to London for a football game, especially when we are not sure if Ron would play or not," Emma replied with slight venom in her voice, although she still smiled.</p><p>"Always a pleasure to see you, Emma," Ron said with a fake smile and an obvious hint of sarcasm in his voice, giving her a handshake.</p><p>"Yes, it's good to see you too, Ron. Finally we can meet your family properly after you repeatedly avoided arranging it for the last two years," Emma said giving him a meaningful look.</p><p>"Well, you're here now," Ron said getting irritated by her attitude once again.</p><p>Hermione wanted to scream at her mother. <em>God, why does she always have to be so mean to Ron? Even though we are pretending, she should see him as my fiance and treat him kindly.</em></p><p>"Well, Daddy, you and mum can come with us on Saturday. Everybody here decided to go to Ron's game and you'll finally get to see him play," Hermione said excitedly.</p><p>"That's great, isn't it, dear?" Walter replied enthusiastically as he turned to Emma.</p><p>"Splendid," Emma answered sarcastically, looking at Ron who rolled his eyes in annoyance.</p><p>"So, would you two like to join us at the dinner table?" Arthur asked them, after he noticed the obvious tension between Ron and Hermione's mother.</p><p>"Of course, Arthur. I'm starving," Walter answered, and Emma nodded politely.</p><p>"That's great! Molly we'll be thrilled to hear that," Arthur replied happily.</p><p>"Hermione, honey, will you show us to our room, so we can freshen up a little for dinner?" Emma asked her daughter and she nodded.</p><p>"Follow me," Hermione said to her parents grabbing one of the suitcases and walking away without giving any look to Ron as she left. Ron followed her, taking the rest of the suitcases.</p><p>When they reached the room, Ron placed the suitcases on the floor. Then he leaned down, gave Hermione a peck on the lips, and left the room. Hermione was a little shocked, because she wasn't expecting it, but that didn't stop her from enjoying it. Once again, the feeling of his lips on hers was enough to make her forget her own name and to lose control of her body.</p><p>
  <em>It was less than a second, Hermione. Stop overreacting. It was an act for your parents who are in the same room with you! A few hours ago, he admitted he only sees you as a friend and you sobbed for an hour. Now he gives you a peck, and you're back to daydreaming? What the hell is wrong with you?</em>
</p><p>"Ron said it was a big house, but this is practically a palace. Where do you sleep, Hermione?" Walter said and this shook her out of her reverie.</p><p>"I'm staying with Ron in his old room. It's a very small room and nothing fancy like this, but it suits us better," she said blushing and her father gave her an approving smile.</p><p>"What do you think about the room, mum? Isn't it really nice?" Hermione asked her mother hoping that she would find some nice words to say.</p><p>"Yes, indeed, honey. It's definitely better than the bedroom in your small flat."</p><p>
  <em>Stay cool, Hermione. Don't play her game.</em>
</p><p>"Every room has its own bathroom, and Dad, there is a small gym with a sauna down the hallway," she said knowing how much her father loved to exercise as he was trying to stay fit at his age.</p><p>"Can we move in here permanently?" Walter joked and Hermione laughed.</p><p>"Now I'll leave you two, so you can get ready for dinner," Hermione said kissing her father on the cheek and leaving the room.</p><p>A half hour later, everyone was at the dinner table enjoying Molly's cooking. Hermione was trying really hard not to laugh at seeing the horrified look on her mother's face when she saw how many people were at the table or how terrible their table manners were, at least by her mother's standards.</p><p><em>Yes, Mum. Weasleys like to eat and talk at the same time! Absurd, I know, but deal with it</em>, she thought to tell her, but she didn't. It was much funnier to see her trying to adjust to the new environment.</p><p>At times, she stole some glances at Ron who was sitting next to her as always. It was the first dinner or breakfast in the Burrow that their arms weren't touching each other. That alone was enough to make Hermione feel tightness in her heart.</p><p>Unnoticed by Ron and Hermione, Ginny was watching them carefully and she could see that there was an obvious tension between them. They stood close but at the same time very far from each other. Neither of them made any eye contact with the other one or spoke to the other. Ginny was determined to find out what was going on and fast.</p><p>The dinner finished soon after and to Hermione's delight, both of her parents seemed to enjoy the food and the company. Her father really hit it off with Arthur and the rest of the Weasleys. Emma seemed to have a good understanding with Molly and she also had a small talk with Muriel that she seemed to enjoy.</p><p>After dinner was finished, Emma announced that she was knackered and wanted to sleep and Hermione left with her to help her unpack her suitcases. Meanwhile, Ron went outside to sit alone in the cold, because he wanted some time alone to think over some things. However, he didn't have much time alone, because soon after, Walter came outside. He sat next to Ron and handed him a wrapped box.</p><p>"This is our Christmas present to you, Ron," Walter said after he saw Ron's confused look.</p><p>"You didn't have to," Ron said unwrapping the present and beaming at what he saw. It was a book about his favourite team titled <em>The Official Illustrated History of the Arsenal 1986-2010.</em></p><p>"Wicked! Thank you so much, Walter," he said with great enthusiasm. He loved the gift and he couldn't wait until he had the chance to read it. Not that he was ever fond of reading books, but he would gladly make an exception to read this one.</p><p>"I knew you were going to like it," Walter said grinning. "By the way, thank you for your Christmas present. Emma doesn't like it when I play the music loud, so that iPod is really going to help me."</p><p>"I can't take credit for that. I just gave Hermione my credit card and she did all the Christmas shopping, but I'm glad you liked her choice."</p><p>Ron saw Walter staring at the view and the house with a look of awe on his face.</p><p>"So, what do you think of our little house, Walter?"</p><p>"Stop bragging, Ron. We both know it's not your style," Walter teased back and Ron gave a small laugh.</p><p>"Yeah, I know. I was just practicing the line to tell to your wife, but she ruined it for me when she went to bed early."</p><p>Walter patted him on the shoulder. "Give her some time, son. Eventually she'll grow fond of you, I'm sure."</p><p>"Walter, I've known your wife for the last five years. How much more time does she need?"</p><p>"Trust me. Under that tough façade, she is a very sensitive and caring woman and mother," Walter said softly.</p><p>
  <em>Is he talking about the same woman? I seriously doubt it. Although, since she's been his wife for the last thirty years, he might have seen a side of her that no one else does. </em>
</p><p>"All I'm saying is that it wouldn't hurt if she could cut me some slack. I mean Hermione is so stubborn that sometimes I want to scream in frustration, but your wife is even more stubborn. No offence, but sometimes she can be a royal pain in the arse."</p><p>Instead of being mad at him or a little annoyed, Walter flashed Ron a smile.</p><p>"Have I ever told you how Emma and I got together, Ron?" he asked him and Ron shook his head.</p><p>"I was a freshman in college and she was a year older. I needed tutoring in history. She was the best in her class the previous year, so I asked her to help me. Despite the fact that she was smart, she was also one of the most beautiful and popular girls in school and I was simply a nobody."</p><p>Ron watched Walter as he started reminiscing about his past with Emma. He always loved to hear the story of how his parents met or how his brothers met their wives. It was intriguing to hear someone share his most secret and important memories.</p><p>"At first, she was so cold and distant with me. She didn't allow any talk except about school–related topics. I can't say I fell in love with her the moment I saw her. No, that would be a lie. But as I got to spend more time with her, I started thinking about her differently. She had… something. I don't know what it was, but it made me think about her all the time."</p><p>
  <em>Welcome to the club! I'm still trying to figure out what Hermione has that makes me crazy for her.</em>
</p><p>"I don't know when my feelings about her changed. Maybe they were always there, but sometimes you get a wake-up call. Something will make you realize that the person next to you is the person that you want to spend the rest of your life with."</p><p>
  <em>Is it my imagination or does this sound disturbingly familiar?</em>
</p><p>"I'm not going to tell you what exactly happened that made me realize that I love her. I'll keep that to myself, but you know what I mean, right?" Walter asked him and Ron simply nodded, not knowing what to say.</p><p>"By the time we had our last session, I was already head-over-heels for her, so I plucked up the courage and asked her out. She laughed at me and left me there alone and heartbroken."</p><p>"She laughed at you?" Ron asked with a shocked expression.</p><p>"The worst part was that there were far too many people watching us. I've never been more humiliated in my life."</p><p>
  <em>Wow, that sucks. Emma really knows how to make a guy feel horrible. I wonder what Hermione's reaction would be if I plucked up the courage to ask her out. I don't think she would laugh to my face, but who knows? I don't think Walter was expecting that reaction from Emma either.</em>
</p><p>"I didn't see her after that incident for a couple of weeks until I noticed her at the library all alone reading about dental occlusion. I avoided talking to her, but she made the first move by coming to the table where I was sitting and asking if she could join me. I just nodded and she sat next to me without either of us talking. Finally, after an hour, I couldn't control myself any longer. I had no idea what she wanted from me and I was getting irritated. I wanted to scream at her to leave me alone and tell her that she had done enough damage to me. Instead I just rose from my seat, moved over to her, grabbed her and snogged her as best as I could."</p><p>Ron just stared at him, feeling a little awkward hearing this. He wanted to hear how they got together but not with that much detail. The last thing he wanted was the mental image of Hermione's parents kissing in a library.</p><p>"It was the boldest thing I had done in my life. I was scared that she was going to kick my bollocks."</p><p>
  <em>I wouldn't blame her. Who does that? Who kisses a girl when she had already showed him that she wasn't into him? He should just deal with the heartbreak and leave her alone.</em>
</p><p>"But to my surprise, the exact opposite happened. She started snogging me back with even more passion."</p><p>
  <em>Wow, I didn't see that coming. I suppose she might have felt bad for what he did to him and wanted to give him a kiss good-bye. Well, actually, they did end up together, so that doesn't make sense either.</em>
</p><p>"We kissed for about a minute. When we broke the kiss, I looked into her beautiful green eyes and saw it," Walter said. By the grin on his face, Ron was sure that he was reliving that kiss.</p><p>"What did you see?" he asked Walter curiously.</p><p>"I saw… love. I didn't see any anger or confusion. Her eyes told me what she couldn't say with words."</p><p>"Walter, I don't understand. If she liked you, then why did she laugh at you when you asked her out?" he asked him with honest confusion.</p><p>Walter gave Ron a strange look that told him that he was ignoring the obvious.</p><p>"Emma comes from a different world than mine or yours, Ron. She comes from a very rich family and was raised as a princess. Her parents always wanted the best for her and from her…the best grades, the best behavior and ultimately the best husband. A poor student from Soho, who was working as a cashier in a supermarket to pay his loans, wasn't going to fill those criteria very well."</p><p>
  <em>Oh, yeah, right. I remember Hermione telling me that her mother was a rich girl from Manchester and her father was a poor bloke from London. It's funny, that I never noticed that detail; Emma married someone poor. Why then does she have such a problem with my job if she had no trouble marrying someone like me? I'm just like Walter when she met him. I'm not rich, but I can pay my bills. Could her problem with me be something other than just my job or how much money I earn?</em>
</p><p>"She acted mean and laughed at me the first time because she wanted me to not fall in love with her. Knowing her parents, she knew we simply couldn't be together. But she already had feelings for me and she tried her best to not show them and keep a distance. But when she saw me again in the library, she knew. She knew that she wanted us to be together no matter what. And when we kissed, i felt it. I felt it in the way she was looking at me. I felt it in the way she was smiling at me. She was the one for me. I would never let her go without a fight, and I fought Ron. She fought for me and I fought really hard for her, and she was worth all the pain I went through."</p><p>Ron kept staring at him unable to talk and to think. What Walter said made so much sense to him that it was painful to let himself believe that he would let Hermione go without a fight. He wanted to fight for her, but at what cost?</p><p>"At the end of the day, Ron, nothing else really matters. Find and be with the girl you love…the one special girl that you can't live without…the girl that makes you feel strong and weak at the same time…the girl that makes you feel complete when you are with her … the girl that you feel lost without…the girl that brings out the best and worst of you…the girl who can take your pain away with just one smile."</p><p><em>Stop talking, Walter. Please stop talking. You don't know what you're doing to me right now. You make me want to risk everything. Just stop talking!</em> Ron pleaded with him mentally, running a hand through his hair.</p><p>"Now that's the kind of girl Emma is to me," Walter said softly. "Is this the kind of girl Hermione is to you?" he asked Ron who nodded without a second thought.</p><p>Walter put a hand on Ron's shoulder and squeezed it. "I'm really happy that my daughter found you. It isn't always going to be easy, Ron; every couple hits rough patches. However, I know that when it comes to down to it, you'll fight for her."</p><p>Ron turned to look at him. He wanted to tell Walter that he was right and he would fight for Hermione with everything he had, but how could he say something like that when he wasn't even brave enough to confess his feelings to her.</p><p>"Think about what I said, Ron," Walter said as he rose up from his chair. "Goodnight, son," he added before walking away.</p><p>"Goodnight, Walter," Ron whispered, wondering if Walter had noticed that he and Hermione were distant all afternoon and had said all these things because he wanted to help them.</p><p>He stood there in the cold for an hour thinking about the kiss he shared with Hermione in the playroom and the talk he just had with Walter. Hermione told him she felt nothing, but that's not what he felt. Her kiss was tender and sweet and that soft moan in the end was proof that she was into this kiss as much as he was, if not more. He wondered for a moment if Hermione lied to him.</p><p><em>What the hell am I going to do? I can't continue like this. I'll go mental, </em>he thought with a heavy sigh, before leaving to go back to his room to sleep. He had to wake up very early the next day to go to practice. Maybe a good night sleep might be what he needed to clear his mind and see what he would do about Hermione. Tonight the girls had decided to have a girls' night and he knew that Hermione would be with them until very late.</p><hr/><p>Meanwhile when Hermione left her parents' room, she came face to face with a determined Ginny.</p><p>"Don't talk. I know that something happened between you and my brother and tomorrow we are going to have a really nice, long talk about that. For now, you're coming with me without asking any questions and you'll promise me that for the rest of the night you won't think about Ron and just have some fun," Ginny said really fast and sternly.</p><p>Even though Hermione was startled by the sudden appearance of Ginny and what she said, she agreed to follow her, because she had no desire to go to her room and be near Ron. She didn't think she could do it without getting depressed.</p><p>"Follow me," Ginny said, dragging Hermione to her surprise in the playroom.</p><p>"What are we doing here?"</p><p>"Just because the guys love to come here and play their childish games, doesn't mean we can't have some fun in this room as well," Ginny answered walking inside the playroom and Hermione followed her.</p><p>Inside the room, all the girls were gathered at the poker table playing a card game. She also noticed the many bottles of whiskey that were on a smaller table right next to the poker table. She wondered who was going to drink so much alcohol.</p><p>"What are you playing?"</p><p>"Strip poker," Sofia said with a wink and Hermione frowned. Then, the girls burst into such a loud, ringing fit of laughter.</p><p>"It's just poker, Hermione. No stripping; we promise. Come on. Sit with us," Katie said trying to control herself and stop laughing.</p><p>"I suppose I could play some poker. I haven't played in a while so it could be fun," Hermione said taking the spot next to Sofia and Ginny.</p><p>"You don't see the bigger picture, Hermione," Katie said smirking. "It's not about poker. It's about getting wasted."</p><p>"She's right, Hermione," Angelina said. "The purpose of tonight's gathering is to drink, tell our most shameful secrets, and have some fun. Tonight our good husbands are going to watch our children, while we are going to burn some brain cells and prepare ourselves for a horrible hangover tomorrow. Are you in?"</p><p>Before she had the chance to reply, Ginny answered. "She's in."</p><p>"Now, Hermione, this game is easy; we're using simple poker rules and playing five card draw. Every time a girl wins a game, then she has the right to ask any girl she wants one question. If the girl answers, then all the girls except her will drink a shot of whiskey. If the girl refuses to answer because she doesn't feel comfortable or she doesn't want to, then she will be the one who'll drink a shot. Are you following me so far?" Angelina asked her and Hermione nodded.</p><p>"You must be completely honest and never comment on any answer. We are a family. Whatever we say doesn't leave the room. Don't feel embarrassed to tell us some of your darkest secrets or to hear some of ours, alright?"</p><p>Hermione felt a little scared thinking what those secrets might be. She wasn't as cool and laid back as the other girls, and she was starting to fear that this night might end up being a huge mistake.</p><p>"Besides, the whole point of this game is to get wasted as fast as we can and we usually don't remember much the next morning," Angelina joked. "Just relax and have fun," she added giving her a glass of whiskey, and winking at her.</p><p><em>I have a bad feeling about this, </em>she thought as she took the glass from Angelina.</p><p>The first few rounds were really funny. Hermione slowly started to feel more relaxed and she even shared a naughty joke she heard from Draco. The questions were like typical truth or dare that she had played a couple of times in high school. Soon though, the questions were becoming more and more personal, but Hermione was already feeling tipsy so she answered those questions without much of a struggle.</p><p>Like right now, when Angelina asked her what the sexiest thing about Ron was, she had no problem answering without blushing.</p><p>"I find everything about him sexy, but if I must choose I think I'll say it's his hair. I love his red hair. It is really soft and I love running my hands through it," she answered truthfully with a dreamy look on her face biting her lower lip.</p><p>The rest of the girls looked at her like she was mental. Ron was an athlete who had a body to die for and deep blue eyes that could melt any woman's heart and she preferred his hair? It didn't make sense to them.</p><p>Sofia won the next game and with a mischievous smile, she turned to Fleur.</p><p>"Okay, Fleur, I overheard a talk between Bill and Charlie. Bill said he has a tattoo on his penis. What is it?" she asked and all the girls turned to see a pink-faced Fleur who didn't answer and drank a shot of whiskey.</p><p>Angelina won the next game, but this time she asked Sofia a question.</p><p>"Why does Charlie call you shark?"</p><p>Every girl except Hermione laughed and Hermione wondered why.</p><p>"You try that question every year! I'm never going to answer that. It's the most embarrassing thing I've ever done in my life," Sofia said looking at her shoes, drinking a shot.</p><p>Hermione found herself in a difficult position when she won the next game. She didn't know the girls so well and she had no idea who to ask or what. After a lot of deliberation, she came up with a question for Katie.</p><p>"Have you ever done something with George and then wondered if he was Fred?" she asked, earning an approving look from the other girls. She was loosening up and they loved that.</p><p>"I never confuse Fred with my lovely hubby. My Georgie is way hotter, so I always know when it's him."</p><p>When Ginny won the next game, she turned to Angelina. "Same question to you too. Have you ever done something with Fred without being sure if it was him or George?"</p><p>Angelina gave her a guilty look, and then she drank a shot avoiding eye contact with Katie. Katie, who was sitting next to Ginny, knew that she couldn't ask Angelina more because of the rules of the game, so she just crossed her arms shooting a murderous look at her.</p><p>An hour later, most of the girls were almost drunk, but Hermione was total wasted. It was definitely obvious when she started giggling uncontrollably and singing the song '<em>Like a virgin</em>' from Madonna very loudly. None of the girls minded though because it was the first time they saw her loosening up.</p><p>The game was still on and right now Fleur was asking a question of Ginny.</p><p>"Why doesn't 'arry wear contacts?"</p><p>"Because he's sexier with his glasses on," Ginny answered immediately without a hint of a blush.</p><p>Once again, every girl drank a shot of whiskey, but it would turn out to be the last one for Hermione. That's because when Katie won the next game she chose to ask Hermione a very personal question.</p><p>"What's the naughtiest thing that ever happened between you and Ron?"</p><p>Hermione put a hand over her mouth. Even in her drunken state, she knew that she shouldn't answer this question, but she had almost no control of her tongue anymore. "I grabbed his penis," she said giggling, "…this morning; it was hard...," she added putting her hand again over her mouth to stop herself from saying more.</p><p>"Come on! Don't stop now! What happened next?" Katie said excitedly. She had no idea that there was nothing more to tell.</p><p>"I ran to the loo. I was so embarrassed," Hermione said, trying to drink another shot of whiskey. Ginny, who was sitting next to her, took the glass out of her hands ignoring Hermione's protests.</p><p>The girls were looking at her confused. They were trying to understand what Hermione meant. Angelina was ready to ask her, but Ginny realized that if Hermione stayed a little longer she would reveal that her relationship with Ron was just an act to please their parents.</p><p>"Okay, I think it's time to call it off for the night, Hermione," Ginny said rising from her seat very fast and grabbing Hermione by the arms to drag her out of the room.</p><p>"No! No, wait Ginny! I haven't told them yet about the time he gave me a massage and then I put my finger in my-"</p><p>"Goodnight, girls," Ginny shouted not giving Hermione the chance to finish her sentence.</p><p>"I hope Ron is asleep, because I don't want him to see you like this," Ginny said to Hermione as she was helping her to climb up the stairs.</p><p>"Ginny, I'm going to tell you a secret," Hermione giggled and then whispered. "I love Ron. I love him."</p><p>Ginny wondered if it was a good idea for Hermione to sleep with Ron that night, because in her state she might do or say something she would regret the next morning. As she thought it over more, she decided that maybe it would be for the best to have Hermione finally confess her feelings to Ron even if she was drunk.</p><p>When they reached the room, Ginny had to knock on the door. Hermione was almost passed out and she couldn't carry her anymore.</p><p>Ron was sleeping when he heard a knock on the door that startled him. He slid off the bed and walked to the door. What he saw when he opened the door was the last thing he expected. He knew that usually the girls drank a little alcohol to have some fun, but Hermione was looking like she was ready to collapse on the floor.</p><p>"Blimey, Ginny! What have you done to her?" he cried to his sister as he took Hermione in his arms and carried her to the bed.</p><p>"Relax, Ron! She's just a little… tipsy," Ginny lied.</p><p>Ron gave her an angry glare. It was irresponsible for his sister to let Hermione, who wasn't very used to alcohol, to drink that much.</p><p>"Hello, handsome," they heard Hermione mumbling and they turned to see her as she was trying get on her feet and give a handshake to Ron looking at him seductively. "My name is Granger. Herm-myo-niny Granger," she stammered before collapsing into a fit of giggles and falling onto the bed again.</p><p>"Okay, Ron. She's wasted, but she had so much fun and I didn't want to ruin it for her," Ginny apologized although deep down she found it amusing to see this side of Hermione.</p><p>"Whatever, Ginny. I'll take it from here," Ron said to his sister with an angry look on his face. Ginny left quickly not because she was afraid of her brother, but because she wanted to go to her room and shag Harry. Ever since Fleur's question, she couldn't get the image of Harry with his glasses on performing a striptease for her.</p><p><em>Don't forget the condoms this time, Ginny. You know what happened last time</em>, she thought as she ran to her room to find her husband.</p><p>"Hermione, can you hear me?" Ron was asking her softly, but Hermione didn't respond.</p><p>"You need to get out of these clothes. They reek of alcohol. Hermione, are you listening?"</p><p>"Ron, is that you?" she asked him, blinking her eyes rapidly trying to see more clearly.</p><p>Ron sighed rubbing a hand on the back of his neck. Hermione wasn't even able to move her hands or see clearly, not to mention change her clothes. He walked to her wardrobe and pulled out her orange silk pajamas. He turned to look at Hermione; seeing her in this state, he realized that he would probably have to dress her.</p><p><em>God, I never asked for anything, but please give me strength…just this time</em>, Ron pleaded.</p><p>He started removing Hermione's jumper when she sensed that and jerked away from his hands. "What are you doing?"</p><p>"I'm trying to get you out of your clothes," Ron answered and Hermione's face lit up.</p><p>"Are you going to have sex, Ron?" she slurred her words while looking at him with a hopeful expression on her face.</p><p>Ron gulped. <em>Please don't do this to me, Hermione. Please don't talk about sex</em>.</p><p>"No, we're not. You just need to wear your pajamas so you can sleep properly," he said with his hands in the air to show her that his intentions were pure and Hermione's face fell.</p><p>"Oh, of course," she said sadly. "Don't worry. I can take my clothes off without your help," she added, turning her back to him as if she was mad at him.</p><p>She took her jumper off and the next thing Ron saw was Hermione's freckled back and the back of a white bra with pink lace. He turned his head so as not to see anymore of her and started chewing on his lower lip. He felt guilty that he was taking advantage of her drunken state to admire her beautiful back.</p><p>"Where are my pajamas?" he heard Hermione asking him.</p><p>He picked up her pajamas that were next to him and when he turned to give them to her, his mouth dropped. Hermione was standing next to the bed with only her knickers and bra on. It was the first time he had ever seen her like that, and the sight left him breathless. Her beautiful long legs, her perfect buttocks, her slim waist, and her small but delicate breasts made his body react immediately. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her and shamefully he noticed that his cock was getting hard as a rock.</p><p>Hermione walked to him unsteadily but with a purpose. She stood in front of him and placed a hand on his chest. Ron's breath caught in his throat. She looked up and their eyes met. Ron could see that she had a problem focusing due to her drunken state, but her eyes were showing something else too. It was a mix of fear, lust and… love?</p><p>"Ron, I need-"she started to say, but she stopped. "I want to tell you that I-"</p><p>Ron didn't see it coming. Instead of hearing the end of the sentence, Hermione vomited all over him. She put a hand over her mouth and started to mumble some apologies that Ron couldn't figure out. He helped her sit down on the bed and then he walked to the bathroom to remove the shirt he was wearing, cursing under his breath for his bad luck. He had a feeling that Hermione was about to say something important, but now he would never know. He took a towel with him and walked back to his room.</p><p>When he got back to the room, Hermione was lying down on the bed; from what he could tell, she had just fallen asleep. He moved close to her and gently wiped the vomit from her mouth with the towel. Then he took the bottle of water he was keeping next to his bed and he lifted Hermione slightly and made her take a few sips.</p><p>
  <em>Now what? I can't let her sleep with only her knickers on. If she wakes up like that in the morning, she'll feel embarrassed and angry.</em>
</p><p>He reached for her pajamas and he slowly and gently started dressing her. He removed every naughty or inappropriate thought from his mind immediately and he focused on the fact that Hermione needed his help. After he finished dressing her, he positioned her to lie down on the bed properly and he pulled the covers over her to keep her warm.</p><p>He was still stinking with vomit so he went to take a quick shower. While the water was running over his body, his thoughts traveled back to his talk with Walter. Walter fought for Emma and won. Maybe that example wasn't the most appropriate, since Emma only held back her feelings because of their difference in background. Still, something inside him was telling him that Walter was right. A man must fight for the woman he loves, no matter what.</p><p>Soon after he finished his shower, he lay down on the bed next to Hermione and stared at her lovely sleeping face. He gently put a hand on her bushy hair and started caressing it.</p><p>
  <em>Aunt Muriel doesn't know what she's talking about. Hermione has the most beautiful hair, the most beautiful eyes, and the most beautiful smile. Everything about her – inside and out - is beautiful.</em>
</p><p>Hermione seemed to sense his presence and she moved her body to snuggle with him. Ron felt wonderful seeing Hermione using his chest as a pillow. He knew he wanted this for the rest of his life. He wanted to sleep holding Hermione and have her hair falling all over his face tickling his nose, her hands around his waist and her legs entwined with his. Even the fact that his penis once again was getting hard with the close proximity made sense to him. Nothing in the world felt more right than this. It was at that moment when Ron made a big decision.</p><p>"I'm going to fight for you, beautiful. I don't know if this is a good or a bad idea. I don't know if my heart will break in the process, but you are worth it. I'm not going to lose you without a fight," he whispered to her. Then he hugged Hermione more tightly and fell asleep.</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Ginny's helping hand</h2></a>
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      <p>The annoying sound of the alarm woke Ron up. He turned it off and looked at the time, 6.00 a.m.</p>
      <p>"Great," he mumbled sarcastically.</p>
      <p>Unfortunately for him, he couldn't sleep very well after Hermione came to the room last night. The combination of Hermione being drunk, Ron seeing her half-naked, Hermione puking on him and thinking about his talk with Walter and his decision to show Hermione his feelings made him lose any desire for sleep. It seemed that every time he closed his eyes, something would pop into his head and in the end, he had a restless night. He only managed to convince his mind and body to rest around five o' clock. He couldn't believe he had to get through the day with just an hour of sleep.</p>
      <p>Hermione's body as always was on top of him with one of her legs wrapped around his waist, her breasts were next to his abs, and her head was resting on his chest. He wondered if Hermione knew what she was doing, because when he finally went to sleep an hour earlier, Hermione had been sleeping on her side without touching him.</p>
      <p>Trying not to wake her up in the process, he gently removed her body off his, slowly slid off the bed, and headed to the loo. On the bright side, Hermione puking on him last night had led him to shower before bed, so he didn't have to do it now, which was great because he had no desire or energy for it.</p>
      <p>Wearing only his boxers and a t-shirt, he headed downstairs to make coffee. He knew that at this hour everybody would be sleeping, so he would have to stop at a café on his way to the training centre to eat a more proper breakfast to get through the exhaustive training.</p>
      <p>To his surprise though, he found Molly in the kitchen cooking.</p>
      <p>"Good morning, son," she said kissing Ron on the forehead.</p>
      <p>"Good morning too, Mum. What are you doing up at this time?"</p>
      <p>"Did you honestly think I would let you go to work without making you breakfast?" she answered, in a slightly mocking tone, like Ron had just asked something ridiculous.</p>
      <p>"Thanks Mum, but you shouldn't wake up too early. I could eat breakfast on my way to work."</p>
      <p>"Nonsense, Ron! Sit down and eat. I didn't have the time to prepare a full breakfast, but I think that's enough."</p>
      <p>Ron looked at the table and he saw there was already a glass of orange juice, tea, toast, scrambled eggs and bacon.</p>
      <p>"Mum, that's more than enough."</p>
      <p>"Is Hermione still sleeping?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah, I didn't want to wake her up. She came to bed very late after her time with the girls and she needs some sleep."</p>
      <p>"Is Hermione going to be my next daughter-in-law, Ron?" Molly asked bluntly and Ron choked on his orange juice.</p>
      <p><em>Of course! Here we go again! One more 'what are you going to do with your future, my little Ronniekins' talk. God, I'm so tired of it! I don't have time for this</em>, he thought sighing.</p>
      <p>"Mum, it's a little after six in the morning, I've barely slept all night, I'm about to drive two hours and have a four hour training session that will strain my already tired body, and then I will have to drive another two hours back. Do you really think that this is a good time to have this talk?"</p>
      <p>Molly ignored his pleading voice and once again said the only thing she knew Ron hated to hear. "You can always quit your football 'career' and start working in the family business."</p>
      <p>He tried really hard not to let his emotions show. He never asked for anything from his parents after he became an adult. He had his own money, he was always there at the family gatherings, he never gave them any reason to say that he wasn't a good son, and he always supported every single member of the family whenever they asked him to do something.</p>
      <p>The only thing he did want from them was to support his life choices and give him some slack from time to time. His father was always a little more supportive about his choices or at least he never voiced his objections, but his mother didn't share the same attitude.</p>
      <p>Molly Weasley never made any pretenses. She would voice what was bothering her no matter what. She had this strong opinion that Ron's destiny was to run the family business and he was just stalling the inevitable.</p>
      <p>"I'm sorry, son, but you know my opinion about your decision to keep insisting on making a career of football when you can have a steady job earning more money. And I also feel that if you didn't work in such a stressful job then you would have done more things in your life, like getting married and having a family. Don't you want to make a family with Hermione, Ron?"</p>
      <p>An image of Hermione holding a little ginger-haired baby appeared in his mind and warmed his heart. He rarely had these kinds of thoughts about making a family. Whenever he did, Hermione was always the wife in his fantasies, holding their little baby. Even before he realized that he was in love with her, it was always Hermione.</p>
      <p>Even when he was dating Parvati for five months and found himself wondering if he should take things to the next level and start thinking about the possibility of having a family, he couldn't replace Hermione's image with hers, no matter how hard he tried. Of course, at the time, he assumed that subconsciously his mind was warning him that Parvati was not the woman he should be thinking about making a family with. He never questioned why he was picturing Hermione instead. He just always thought it was because Hermione was the most familiar face in his life and his imaginary wife and mother of his child must have a face; it seemed logical that by default he would choose the face of his beautiful best friend. Now though, he was convinced that it wasn't a coincidence.</p>
      <p><em>Wow! I can't believe it's the first time I've noticed that</em>, he thought shocked with the realization.</p>
      <p>He noticed that his mother was still staring at him waiting for an answer.</p>
      <p>"There is not only one road that leads to that destination, Mum. I'm still very young and nothing is stopping me from getting married or having babies in the future. Football players have families too, you know," he said trying to make a point.</p>
      <p>"If your job is not the problem, then what are you waiting for, Ron? I can see how much you both love each other and age has nothing to do with wanting to make the next step," she said and Ron was staring at his mother trying to believe her.</p>
      <p>"You two have been together for two years now, Ron, and you were friends for three years before that; during all that time, you were living together. Your relationship has been tested and you're still here together. Don't make her wait too long, son," Molly advised Ron.</p>
      <p>"Eat your breakfast now. I'll go to sleep again, because I need to wake up again in a couple of hours to cook for the rest of the red army," she joked kissing Ron on the top of his head, before leaving.</p>
      <p>Ron hated himself for lying to his mother. She was dreaming of marriages and babies, when in reality it was all a farce. Yes, he was ready to take a risk to show Hermione that he loves her as more than a friend, but even if she felt the same, he had no desire to tie the knot any time soon.</p>
      <p>He tried to clear his head from all the feelings and thoughts racing through it for the moment. He had a rough day in front of him and he needed to be ready, so he focused on his breakfast.</p>
      <p>When he finished, he put some toast on a covered plate and took it with him back to the room. He left the plate on his desk and then he wrote a note to Hermione that she would find when she woke up.</p>
      <p>He got dressed, grabbed his training bag and made a turn to leave. He stood in the doorway and he walked back to the bed. He leaned in and kissed Hermione softly on the forehead.</p>
      <p>"I'm off to work, drunk lady. I love you," he whispered in her ear before turning away and leaving.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Hermione opened her eyes with difficulty and a headache out of nowhere caused her to moan in pain. She rubbed her temples trying to soothe the pain away.</p>
      <p>"God, my head is killing me," she groaned, rolling to the other side to hug Ron.</p>
      <p>It was then when she realized that Ron's side of the bed was empty.</p>
      <p><em>That's odd. Where is he?</em> She wondered. "Ron," she called, but she didn't hear any reply.</p>
      <p>She looked around for a sign of him, but she found nothing. She slid off the bed to check the bathroom, but she found it empty too. She wondered if he went down to breakfast without her.</p>
      <p>
        <em>No, he would never do that. We always have our breakfast together. What's going on?</em>
      </p>
      <p>At that moment, she remembered why Ron wasn't there.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Of course, he has a practice. He had to get up early and he didn't want to wake me up. God, I should stop being so overly dramatic.</em>
      </p>
      <p>She moved to the bed and lay down, grabbed Ron's pillow and clutched it to her chest. She knew she shouldn't be feeling bad about it, but Ron not being there when she woke up and not being there to go to eat breakfast together made her feel extremely lonely.</p>
      <p>Also, the fact that she decided to be distant with him after their kiss in the playroom made her miss him even more. She knew it was a childish decision and she realized now how wrong it was. She wanted to make it up to him by starting to be friendly with him again. After all, it wasn't his fault. You can't make someone feel the same way you do.</p>
      <p>Just then, her eyes caught something weird on the desk. It looked like a plate with a piece of paper next to it. She quickly left the bed and ran to the desk to read the letter. She knew it was from Ron.</p>
      <p>
        <em>I thought for a moment to wake you up, and share breakfast together before I left for practice, but judging by the state you came to the room last night, I chose not to. Besides, you looked like an drunken angel and I couldn't bring myself to ruin that image.</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>Your head must be killing you right now, so ask Angelina to give you the 'medicine.' It's herbal tea with something secret that she adds and takes away the headache immediately. Trust me; it works.</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>I hope that by the time I come home, you'll be fine, because I was thinking of giving you a tour of my hometown today. We'll talk about it when I come home, alright? I'll be back by 3 p.m.</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>With love,</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>Handsome Ron</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>p.s. I felt weird eating breakfast without you, so here's my toast. Enjoy your meal.</em>
      </p>
      <p>Hermione bit her lower lip, as a grin formed on her face. She couldn't help but feel warm after reading his letter. She ate the toast like she was starving. In her mind, it tasted better than anything else she had ever eaten before. Unfortunately it did little to ease her headache.</p>
      <p>She closed her eyes for a moment to imagine Ron sitting at the desk and writing that letter without making any noise, but the first image that came to her mind was an image of Ron looking down at his shirt with shock, and a very disgusting thick liquid covering that shirt. It looked like someone had vomited on him.</p>
      <p>"That's a weird image. How come that came to my mind? God, I have a wild imagination," she told herself.</p>
      <p>She left the bed and headed to the bathroom. She decided to take a good warm shower, because her entire body still smelled like whiskey. She made a mental note to herself never to trust herself near alcohol ever again. It was the second time she got herself pissed in a few weeks.</p>
      <p>While showering, she tried to remember the previous night. She had a feeling that something important happened, but she had no clue what. She didn't remember a lot after the sixth drink. The last thing she remembered was saying that naughty joke about nuns, Draco had told her, but after that, everything was a blur in her mind.</p>
      <p>She finished her shower and while she was drying her hair, her eyes fell on a shirt on the floor under the sink; she hadn't noticed it before.</p>
      <p>"Come on, Ron. Can't you put your laundry in the basket?" she grumbled, reaching down to the shirt.</p>
      <p>"Ewww, what's that?" she wondered disgusted, after she realized that the shirt was full of something sticky. She turned the shirt upside down and she saw it covered in what looked like vomit.</p>
      <p>"Did Ron puke on himself? I didn't know he was sick. Why didn't he wake me up to tell me or why did he go to practice if he didn't feel well? Stubborn git!<em>"</em></p>
      <p>She left the bathroom after a few minutes and she went back to her room where she was startled by seeing Ginny sitting on the edge of the bed.</p>
      <p>Ginny moved from the bed and she pointed to a cup of tea that was on the desk. "You must drink this, Hermione. I assume that, just like the rest of us, you have a horrible headache and this is going to help you."</p>
      <p>"Is this Angelina's medicine that Ron told me about?" Hermione asked taking a careful sip thinking it would taste horribly, but to her delight it was actually very sweet.</p>
      <p>"You talked to Ron? Didn't he leave too early?"</p>
      <p>"He left me this letter that said to ask Angelina for her herbal tea," she said giving Ginny the letter.</p>
      <p>Ginny read the letter and a grin formed on her face. "He couldn't be more obvious, could he?" she asked Hermione winking, but Hermione shook her head.</p>
      <p>"It's not like it's a love letter, Ginny," said Hermione, and Ginny rolled her eyes.</p>
      <p>"You know, I'm worried about him. He must be sick, but he went to practice anyway. I think he's doing it because he doesn't want to lose his spot on the team. I'm sure that he'll keep pretending he's fine, no matter how sick he is."</p>
      <p>Ginny gave her a confused and worried look."What do you mean he's sick? You said you didn't see him."</p>
      <p>"I didn't, but I found a shirt of his in the bathroom covered in vomit. Maybe he has the flu or maybe it's food poisoning, I don't know," she answered with concern in her voice.</p>
      <p>Ginny went to the bathroom to see the shirt. She had a suspicion of what actually caused that incident, but she wanted to be sure. After looking and smelling the shirt, she was convinced.</p>
      <p>"Hermione, that vomit on Ron's shirt is yours," she said walking back into the bedroom, and Hermione frowned.</p>
      <p>"Are you mental? What are you talking about?"</p>
      <p>"Last night you were really pissed, Hermione. You couldn't even walk without help. When I helped you get to the room, I woke up Ron to help me and he carried you to the bed. Do you remember that?" she asked her and Hermione shook her head, afraid of what more was coming that she didn't remember.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Good job, Granger! What the hell is wrong with you? Are you trying to break the record for how many times you can humiliate yourself in front of Ron?</em>
      </p>
      <p>"Well, Ron didn't seem sick at all. So judging from the fact that I woke up to puke last night in my bathroom, I imagine that something similar happened here. Only judging by the fact that the shirt also reeks of alcohol, your vomit landed on Ron's shirt. I can guarantee that this is exactly what happened. In retrospect i shouldn't have let you drink that much since i know you're not a fan, but you seemed to enjoy the night and i was pissed as well."</p>
      <p>Hermione started laughing. "Come on, Ginny. Don't you think I would remember if something like that hap-" she stopped talking while memories of last night started flashing in her mind and the most vivid image was her in only her underwear walking to Ron and puking all over him.</p>
      <p>"Oh my God! Oh my God, I did it! I puked on him!" she said running to the bed burying herself under the covers and holding them tightly so Ginny couldn't see her. She wanted to cry and scream. She felt so embarrassed. Not only had she had vomited on him, but he saw her in just her underwear.</p>
      <p>Her embarrassment grew when she realized that her underwear was not sexy at all; they were just plain white cotton knickers and bra with some pink lace. Did she really think in her drunken state that she could ever seduce Ron wearing granny knickers?</p>
      <p>"It's over! I ruined everything. I can't believe it!" she kept mumbling through soundless sobs.</p>
      <p>"Hermione, stop being a drama queen and let's talk."</p>
      <p>"Go away, Ginny. I humiliated myself once again in front of Ron. Just leave me alone."</p>
      <p>"For God's sake, Hermione, you are a grown woman. Get a grip, dammit!" Ginny commanded her, ripping the covers off of Hermione.</p>
      <p>"You don't get it, Ginny! He saw me with only my underwear on," Hermione whispered, with her face buried in Ron's pillow.</p>
      <p>"Well, hallelujah!"</p>
      <p>"He was standing there where you are right now and I walked over to him with only my lousy knickers and bra on. I think I was ready to tell him that I love him and instead I puked on him! How can you say hallelujah?" Hermione snapped almost screaming.</p>
      <p>"He saw you half-naked, Hermione. I'm positive that this image is what Ron would remember more from last night and not you puking on him."</p>
      <p>"I wasn't a pretty sight, Ginny. I could barely walk or talk, not to mention how hideous my underwear was," she said sighing, trying to keep her tears from falling down her cheeks.</p>
      <p>Ginny went to her and hugged her. "Hermione, last night, after I left you here, I ran to my room to have some fun with Harry. Luckily, James was sleeping in my parents' room, so I could be as wild as I wanted to be. I woke him up and I managed to convince him to perform a striptease for me, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Then we started to get 'intimate,' and I fell asleep," she confessed with a guilty voice.</p>
      <p>"You fell asleep while shagging?"</p>
      <p>"Yes, and Harry didn't find it very funny in case you were wondering," said Ginny and Hermione smiled a little. "But he didn't get mad either. When I woke up to puke, he woke up too and he took care of me like a sweet husband should do. Sometimes embarrassing things like that happen to all of us, Hermione. It doesn't mean that Ron would think any less of you because you puked on him or because you didn't wear sexy knickers. You must stop overanalyzing every little thing and getting so stressed out about every minor misstep. You and my brother are meant to be together. It's written all over your faces how much you love each other. Just stop worrying so much and it'll happen," Ginny advised Hermione and she truly believed what she had just said.</p>
      <p>"I wish that was true, Ginny, but if you were with me yesterday in the playroom, you'd realize how wrong you are," Hermione said sadly.</p>
      <p>Ginny stared at her for a while. She knew that something happened between her and Ron, but she assumed it was meaningless bickering like always.</p>
      <p>"Okay, talk! What happened between you and Ron? Yesterday, you were both acting like you came back from a funeral."</p>
      <p>"I don't want to talk about it, alright?" Hermione sighed, running a hand through her hair.</p>
      <p>"I thought we had an understanding, Hermione. After everything you've told me, I think I'm the right person to talk to about your problems with my brother," Ginny insisted knowing how stubborn Hermione was.</p>
      <p>Hermione had to agree with that. Ginny was the only person she could talk to about Ron. After taking a deep breath to calm herself before having to relive yesterday's painful events, she started to speak.</p>
      <p>"He said that… that our Christmas kiss meant nothing to him," she said with a trembling voice.</p>
      <p>"He said what?"</p>
      <p>"There was some mistletoe forgotten in the doorway of the playroom. We started debating whether it was necessary to kiss or not, because technically it wasn't Christmas. I wanted to kiss him like mad and luckily, Ron remembered that avoiding mistletoe means bad luck. Since he's superstitious, he agreed to kiss me," she paused for a moment.</p>
      <p>"We shared a sweet kiss; at least it was for me. But before we kissed, he told me how great it is that we are only friends and we didn't feel anything when we kissed on Christmas," she said with a sad whisper.</p>
      <p>"Do you see now why you were wrong? He doesn't fancy me, as you believe. I'm nothing more than a friend to him," said Hermione trembling with a broken voice.</p>
      <p>To Hermione's surprise, Ginny started laughing as if she had just heard a joke.</p>
      <p>"Hermione, you are an idiot! And my brother is an even bigger idiot!"</p>
      <p>"What are you talking about?"</p>
      <p>"I'm saying, Hermione, that you just proved to me how crazy Ron is about you," Ginny said and Hermione was puzzled.</p>
      <p>"You don't make any sense, Ginny. Didn't you hear what I said?"</p>
      <p>"Did you, Hermione? I doubt that you really saw things from Ron's perspective." Ginny asked her and Hermione opened her mouth to reply, but she didn't know what to say.</p>
      <p>"Don't you see what he did? He wanted to kiss you too, but he feels guilty because he thinks that you don't want him or his kisses either. That's why he tested you to see how you feel and… what did you say when he said that?"</p>
      <p>"I- I sort of agreed with him," she whispered sadly. "Ginny, I don't think Ron-"</p>
      <p>"Answer me this and be honest, Hermione. When you two kissed on Christmas, did you feel like he wasn't into the kiss?" Ginny asked interrupting her.</p>
      <p>Hermione was taken aback by that question. What was the right answer to that question? No matter how hard she tried to deny it, the truth was that it was a hell of a snog and not only from her side. She felt so much love from Ron in that kiss that took her breath away.</p>
      <p>"It felt… It felt like it was a kiss of two people in love," she admitted in a whisper.</p>
      <p>Ginny walked to her and hugged her. "Hermione, it's time to accept that my brother loves you and not just as a friend."</p>
      <p>"You are just assuming that, Ginny or you just want it to be true. What if you're wrong? What if I go to Ron, pour my heart out to him, and ask him if he feels the same, only to find out that there was a misunderstanding? What am I going to do then, Ginny?" Hermione pleaded with Ginny to stop saying such things.</p>
      <p>Ginny grabbed her arms and forced her to turn around. "Then why don't you find out, without asking him?"</p>
      <p>"What do you mean?" Hermione asked confused and scared. She knew that when Ginny raised her eyebrow, it was never a good thing.</p>
      <p>"I mean that today, after my brother gives you the tour of Ottery St. Catchpole, I'm sure he'll take you to dinner at Brown's. It's a local restaurant and it's very nice. It's nothing too fancy, but it's the best in our little town. There the '<em>convince Hermione that my git of a brother is head over heels for her</em>' plan is going to be set in motion," Ginny said with a mischievous smile on her face.</p>
      <p>"Ginny, don't even think about it. I already tried to follow Draco's advices and seduce Ron, and I only ended up humiliating myself."</p>
      <p>"Draco is that blond gay guy from your office that you've told me about?"</p>
      <p>"What did he tell you? What was his plan of seducing Ron?"</p>
      <p>"He told me to wear sexy clothes, to have him teach me something, which I did unsuccessfully, to ask him to give me a massage and start moaning in pleasure, which I also did unsuccessfully, to watch romantic movies with him, to eat all kind of foods in a seductive way, to take him to a club and rub my body on his while dancing and many more things that I can't or don't want to remember," said Hermione earning a disapproving glare from Ginny.</p>
      <p>"Well, he may be gay, but he's still a guy. What did you expect?" Ginny snorted sarcastically.</p>
      <p>"Some of his advice wasn't bad though, especially what he said about you wearing sexy clothes and the rubbing while dancing advice, which we will follow tomorrow," she said opening Hermione's closet, like she was searching for something.</p>
      <p>"Tomorrow?"</p>
      <p>"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you. We're all going to a nightclub at Devon tomorrow. We do it every year. Some dancing is never a bad thing for a couple. Trust me," said Ginny giving her a meaningful look. "Now all we have to do is to find you the sexiest dress for tomorrow night."</p>
      <p>Hermione didn't like the sound of that. Ginny made it sound very easy, but she was probably judging it from only her experience. Ginny was beautiful and always drew the attention of men, but Hermione wasn't like that. She never felt sexy and she wasn't a good dancer either. How could she ever pull off Ginny's plan?</p>
      <p>"Where are your sexy clothes?"</p>
      <p>"I don't think I have sexy clothes - Oh wait, pull that blue dress out. I think it's very sexy," Hermione said smiling, pointing to the dress she was referring to.</p>
      <p>It was a blue knee-length, one-shoulder tight dress. Hermione was planning to wear it on New Year's Eve. She bought it a few days before she came to the Burrow and she thought it looked good on her. She was actually very proud that she found a dress she actually liked and she couldn't wait for Ron to see her wearing it.</p>
      <p>Hermione's smile faded away quickly though after seeing Ginny's expression.</p>
      <p>"Tsk-tsk-tsk, Hermione, you are disappointing me," she said and Hermione frowned, feeling hurt. "Don't misunderstand me, Hermione. This dress is great and beautiful, even a little sexy. But it's not the kind of sexy we're looking for. This is something to wear on an anniversary or for a special occasion for a couple, not to a nightclub."</p>
      <p>"Actually I was planning to wear this on New Year's Eve."</p>
      <p>"Well, that's a great dress for that, Hermione," Ginny said truthfully, turning her attention back to the closet.</p>
      <p>"There is nothing in this closet I can work with," Ginny said, and Hermione felt like Ginny was her mother scolding her about a low-test grade. "Wait here. I'll be back in a tic."</p>
      <p>Hermione wondered where she went or why it was so important to find something sexy in her closet, but when she came back holding a really mini black dress, all her questions were answered.</p>
      <p>"No way, Ginny! That's way too short," Hermione said, blushing at the idea of wearing something like that.</p>
      <p>"Hermione, that the point!" Ginny exclaimed. "We don't need you to look pretty. We need you to look bloody hot and this is the perfect dress."</p>
      <p>Hermione was staring at the dress. She never wore miniskirts or revealing dresses. She wasn't a prude or anything, but it wasn't her style. She still remembered how many times Viktor had asked her to wear something sexy for their dates, but her definition of sexy apparently was a lot different than his. She would wear a knee-length dress, or tight jeans with a nice top that would show hints of her cleavage, but it was never enough for him.</p>
      <p>Now, of course, it was about Ron, and that changed things. If Ginny was certain that this dress would make Ron drool all over her, then why wouldn't she wear it? What did she have to lose?</p>
      <p>
        <em>Besides my dignity, of course</em>
      </p>
      <p>She grabbed the dress from Ginny's hand and ran to the bathroom. She put it on, but she didn't dare look at herself in the mirror. She was afraid that even this dress wouldn't make any difference in her appearance. She wasn't attractive or sexy and she knew it.</p>
      <p>When she slowly came out of the bathroom and back into the room, she was afraid of Ginny's reaction. Ginny looked at her and gave her an approving nod.</p>
      <p>"Hermione, if I was into girls, I would be so turned on right now. This looks so great on you! My God, Ron will go bonkers when he sees you," she said enthusiastically making Hermione blush.</p>
      <p>She ran back into the bathroom. She wanted to see herself now. Ginny's reaction gave her the necessary courage to do it. She stood in front of the mirror and she couldn't help but feel good with what she saw.</p>
      <p>The dress was a little tight, showing a lot of her legs and thighs. The entire back was exposed and the halter neckline was surprisingly flattering even making her small breasts look full. She had to agree with Ginny. This dress was perfect to seduce a man, and could make even her look sexy.</p>
      <p>She came back to the room and saw no sign of Ginny. She was confused but then Ginny came back with half a dozen of pairs of high heels in her hands.</p>
      <p>"What size are you?" she asked Hermione.</p>
      <p>"6, 6.5."</p>
      <p>"Yes, I have the perfect shoes for this dress," said Ginny giving her a pair of high heels black shoes.</p>
      <p>"Go on and try them on," Ginny urged her.</p>
      <p>Hermione wore the shoes and she started posing like a model, causing Ginny to laugh.</p>
      <p>"I think it's great, Hermione. It looks so good on you," Ginny said like a proud sister. "Poor Ron, he won't know what hit him."</p>
      <p>Once again, Hermione ran to the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror. The sight scared her this time. She looked different. Almost like the bad girl version of herself. She couldn't deny that she looked sexy, but she was afraid that it was too much. She was afraid that if this plan worked, then Ron would fall for someone that was not her.</p>
      <p>"What did I tell you, Hermione? Stop overanalyzing things," Ginny's voice came from the bathroom door where she was standing with her arms crossed. Hermione felt like she had just read her mind. "I don't know how to convince you, but you are a very attractive woman. With this dress, you can make every guy, including Ron, chase after you, although I don't think it's necessary. My brother is already crazy about you, with or without the dress. So, stop worrying so much and enjoy it."</p>
      <p>Hermione sighed, but she knew deep down that Ginny was right. It was time to stop being so tense all the time. She had to relax and maybe risk a little.</p>
      <p>"Are you sure Ron will come with us tomorrow though? Maybe he'll be tired or have an early practice," Hermione said worried.</p>
      <p>"Leave that to me, Hermione. If i need to convince Ron, i know the way to do it."</p>
      <p>Hermione raised an eyebrow at Ginny and then she just smiled. She knew that Ginny would definitely find a way to convince Ron. He never denied anything his sister asked for, just like the rest of his brothers. Apparently, being the only girl and the youngest had it perks for Ginny.</p>
      <p>"Now get ready and come down to breakfast, because I'm starving. Later we are going to find you something nice to wear for your date tonight with Ron," Ginny said walking out of the room.</p>
      <p>"It's not a da-"</p>
      <p>"See you downstairs," Ginny shouted, not letting her finish her sentence.</p>
      <p>Hermione smiled, finding it amusing how sure Ginny was about Ron having feelings for her. She wanted to believe it herself, and maybe that was the problem. Maybe Ron did have feelings for her that passed the barrier of friendship, but she was too preoccupied by believing the opposite and too focused on her own feelings that she ignored Ron's hints?</p>
      <p>
        <em>Why must it be so difficult? Why do I need a plan to win Ron? Why must I transform myself into something that I'm not to make him notice me? If he really liked me, like Ginny thinks, shouldn't he have made a move on me by now? What is he waiting for? He's the guy after all. It's his job to make the first move.</em>
      </p>
      <p>"Oh, who am I kidding?" She collapsed on the bed sighing.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Ron had just finished the training and he was in the locker room, getting ready to leave, when he heard someone calling his name.</p>
      <p>"Mr. Weasley, I need you to come to my office," Gary Owen said looking at him and pointing to follow him. Gary was someone who worked for the team's board.</p>
      <p>Neville gave him a worried glance and an encouraging half-smile. Everybody knew that when this guy wants to talk to you privately, then something serious is going on. He walked into Gary's office, closed the door behind him, and sat in the chair, waiting to hear the reason for this meeting. He saw that Coach Snape was also there.</p>
      <p>"Do you have an agent, Mr. Weasley?" Gary asked, surprising Ron.</p>
      <p>"No, sir, I don't."</p>
      <p>"Too bad," he said with a grimace, searching the pile of papers he had on his desk.</p>
      <p>"I don't understand, sir," Ron said truthfully. Gary ignored him and kept searching his desk until he found what he was looking for.</p>
      <p>"When was the last time you signed a contract for us, Mr. Weasley?"</p>
      <p>
        <em>What the hell? Are they going to terminate my contract? Please don't let it be.</em>
      </p>
      <p>"Two years ago and it expires in 6 months," he said, afraid for what was coming.</p>
      <p>"Well, you'll be pleased to know that the board decided to offer you a new contract with better financial terms," he said, giving him the contract papers, with what looked like a failed attempt to smile.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Oh, God. Thank you!</em>
      </p>
      <p>"You're not joking, right?" Ron asked with excitement.</p>
      <p>"Don't read too much into it, Weasley. You come cheaper to them than buying a new goalkeeper," Snape interjected into the conversation.</p>
      <p>"Yes, of course, sir," Ron said, although inside he was over the moon and not even the snide remarks of Coach Snape could ruin this moment.</p>
      <p>"Now, Mr. Weasley, this contract is the best we're willing to offer. Take the contract and give it to your lawyer or someone who knows about legal forms. We are expecting your answer in my office by the 30th of this month."</p>
      <p>"That's in two days! Why so soon?" he asked surprised. He couldn't make such an important decision in just two days. It was his future.</p>
      <p>"I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley, but I'm afraid that we can't do anything about it. The transfer window for football clubs is opening on January 1st. According to your current contract, you're allowed to negotiate your free transfer to another club and we don't want that. We value your abilities and we want to secure that you're going to continue being a Millwall player."</p>
      <p>Ron felt pleased to hear that the board was happy with him. That contract was proof that they believed in him. He saw the contract, but he couldn't make out much from it. There were too many clauses and weird, difficult words, so he decided he would have to have someone help him with that.</p>
      <p>"I'm very happy that the club is offering me a new contract. You'll have my answer soon," Ron said giving Gary a handshake and rising from his chair to leave the office.</p>
      <p>"Let's hope it's positive. I think it wouldn't be wise for both parties to drag this out longer than it should, Mr. Weasley," Gary said with a meaningful look, and Ron sat back down.</p>
      <p>He felt like Gary was trying to imply that there might be consequences if he didn't agree.</p>
      <p>"I see," Ron said. "What if I don't agree with this new contract? What if I want to negotiate some terms?" he asked mostly to see Gary's reaction. He needed to be sure about the board's intentions.</p>
      <p>"I already informed you, Mr. Weasley, that this is the best we can offer at the moment. I'm sure if there are minor differences we can work things out, but don't expect much more."</p>
      <p>Ron didn't like the sound of that. He had no idea if this offer was good or not, but he felt like they were giving him an ultimatum.</p>
      <p>"Hypothetically speaking, if I don't agree with this contract and the board is not willing to offer me a better one, would that have consequences on my spot on the team?" he asked afraid of the answer.</p>
      <p>"No, it won't. You're going to be our starting goalkeeper no matter what," Snape answered immediately not letting Gary answer.</p>
      <p>Gary and Snape were having a staring contest for a while and Ron noticed that. He was surprised that Coach Snape was showing his faith in him in such an obvious way. Snape was a legend for the Millwall club and nobody could tell him what to do, especially a lackey like Gary Owen. Seeing Coach Snape defending him like that gave Ron a great boost of confidence.</p>
      <p>"Yes, like Mr. Snape said, there are not going to be any consequences. But you need to understand, Mr. Weasley, that any talks about a new contract will have to start from the very beginning. You might think that you can gain a better contract at the end of the season, but you might end up with nothing. Risks of the job, I suppose," Gary said and that made Ron think that he might be right.</p>
      <p>"I'm sorry, Weasley. Do you want some tea with biscuits?" Snape asked him suddenly in a sarcastic tone that Ron didn't notice.</p>
      <p>"Oh, that would be great," Ron replied beaming, before realising his mistake.</p>
      <p>"Take the contract, Weasley, and get the hell out of this office," Snape told him in an angry tone.</p>
      <p>"Yes, sir, I'm sorry," Ron stammered, walking out of the office hurriedly.</p>
      <p>"Don't forget, Mr. Weasley. The 30th of December is the deadline. Our meeting will be held after your practice session that day. You must come with your lawyer or your agent. Have a nice day," Gary said ending the meeting.</p>
      <p>Ron said goodbye to the two men and then walked out of the room closing the door behind him. After closing the door, Ron let out a deep sigh. This day was turning out to be more eventful than he expected. Looking at the contract papers in his hand, he knew that there was only one person he should ask for help - Hermione.</p>
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<a name="section0020"><h2>20. The clock tower</h2></a>
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      <p>After a delicious breakfast, Hermione went with Ginny to pick out something to wear for her 'date' with Ron. Ginny wanted Hermione to wear a short purple dress with stockings and knee-high black leather boots, but Hermione chose a pair of tight, black jeans and a cute one-shoulder red top. Ginny wasn't very happy, but Hermione thought the weather was so cold that she didn't think she could walk for hours without getting frostbite in that dress or without getting her feet swollen in those boots.</p>
      <p>The next few hours passed with Hermione and the rest of the girls outside, watching the kids playing and trying to remember what happened last night. They had a really good laugh, but Hermione had a feeling that the girls were giving her some weird signals. She felt like they were trying to ask her something specific, but they didn't know how. Ginny whispered to her that last night she had revealed what happened between her and Ron the morning before, and the girls were confused as to why grabbing Ron's penis was the naughtiest thing she's ever done with him, since they were dating for two years.</p>
      <p>Hermione thanked Ginny for taking her away soon, before she could blurt out more. She also made a mental note to herself never to drink more than she should, especially in front of the girls or Ron.</p>
      <p>The girls kept talking about last night's events, but Hermione couldn't concentrate. Her mind was on her upcoming 'date' with Ron, as Ginny called it. She started getting excited thinking about the time she was going to spend with Ron and all the great things he would show her. She imagined holding his hand while walking on the narrow streets of the small town and asking him all the questions she knew she would have.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Okay, I must be careful. I don't want to bore him with my questions.</em>
      </p>
      <p>She decided to go inside, clear her mind of all these thoughts, and maybe have a little talk with her dad. She really missed him and she wanted to see if he liked the Burrow or the Weasleys, although she had no doubt that he did.</p>
      <p>Walking inside though, she only found her mother and Molly sitting in the living room talking and drinking tea. She tried to sneak back outside, but she wasn't quick enough.</p>
      <p>"Hermione, come and join us for tea, dear" she heard her mother's voice saying.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Dammit, I was so close!</em>
      </p>
      <p>Sighing, she walked over to them and sat next to her mother, after she had greeted both women with a kiss on the cheek. Molly went to the kitchen and came back immediately with a cup of tea for Hermione.</p>
      <p>"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," she said smiling.</p>
      <p>"I already told you to call me Molly, Hermione. We are family now," Molly said with a genuine smile.</p>
      <p>Hermione felt warm inside. She would be lying to herself if she said that she didn't already feel like a member of the Weasley family. Of course, she did, but there was something getting in the way of her enjoying it. She still felt ashamed of what she was doing to Ron's family and her parents. She wanted to stop lying, but could she?</p>
      <p><em>What am I doing? Mrs. Weasley is treating me like a daughter and I keep lying to her. How horrible am I for lying to this kind woman? She'll never forgive me if she finds out the truth. She and the rest of the Weasleys are going to hate me, </em>Hermione thought guiltily<em>.</em></p>
      <p>"Dad is with Mr. Wea- Arthur?" Hermione asked her mother, trying to take her mind off these thoughts and earning an approving nod from Molly after she corrected herself.</p>
      <p>"Yes, he woke up very early and he and Arthur went fishing with that Hagrid guy. God, your father has been acting strangely ever since we came here. It's like he's a teenager again, getting ready for another adventure with his friends," Emma said and by the tone of her voice, Hermione knew she wasn't happy about it.</p>
      <p>"Let him enjoy it, Mum."</p>
      <p>"Personally, I'm thrilled that Arthur has found someone with which to spend some time. Sometimes we can feel a little secluded here since most of the time we only have each other for company. Of course, we always enjoy our time together," Molly said with so much love in her voice that Hermione felt warm in her heart.</p>
      <p>In the four days she had stayed at the Burrow, Hermione had witnessed many moments of affection between Ron's parents. It was like they were playing a game. Arthur would do something immature and Molly would scold him, but then Arthur would give her a lovely smile and Molly's face would soften.</p>
      <p>A small grin appeared on her face. She remembered that after she and Ron bickered one time during a dinner with Harry and Ginny, Harry had commented how much they reminded him of Molly and Arthur. Back then, she took it as an insult, but now she realized what Harry meant. She blushed at the memory and took a sip of her tea to hide her pink face.</p>
      <p>"You know, Hermione, Molly and I were thinking that it would be a great idea to throw an engagement party for you and Ron on New Year's Eve," Emma said causing Hermione to choke on her tea.</p>
      <p>"What!"</p>
      <p>"We think it would be so romantic, don't you think?" Molly added to the conversation and Hermione panicked.</p>
      <p>"Ron and I are not engaged! You can't have an engagement party without a fiancé, a fiancée, and an engagement ring, or without someone making a proposal. It's absurd. You can't!" she cried.</p>
      <p>
        <em>My God, are they insane? Who throws an engagement party for a non-engaged couple? They should wait until Ron buys me a ring and comes home on a rainy night when I'm scared of the lightning and have curled up on the couch. He'll come to protect me, he'll hug me and then he'll pull the ring out of his pocket, get down on one knee and propose to me… What the hell am I thinking about now?</em>
      </p>
      <p>"Hermione, we know that you and Ron are not officially engaged, but-"</p>
      <p>"There is no but, Mum. Ron and i are fine with the way things are. We're not there yet. It's too early to have any talk about marriage, so can we please just forget about this?"</p>
      <p>
        <em>I was already going crazy thinking about Ron dating me, but now they made me mental by making me fantasize about engagement rings! Thank you so much, mother! And Mrs. We-Molly, dammit! I really need to get used to it!</em>
      </p>
      <p>"I'm sorry, Hermione. You're right. We just got carried away in our talk before you came and we even started making wedding plans," Molly said causing Hermione's eyes to go wide.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Marriage! Oh my God. Soon they'll start talking about grandchildren!</em>
      </p>
      <p>"Don't think badly of us, Hermione. We just think it would be nice if you and Ron start planning for the future and start thinking about getting married and having some babies."</p>
      <p>
        <em>Oh, here come the babies! I need to get out of here! Now!</em>
      </p>
      <p>Hermione rose from her seat and started to give some excuse to leave, but Molly grabbed her hand gently, motioning for her to sit down again, which Hermione reluctantly did.</p>
      <p>"When you have your own children and see them truly happy with another person, then you'll start thinking and doing crazy things like that to keep them together," Molly said with an apologetic smile. "It's what mothers do."</p>
      <p>Molly's sweet smile softened Hermione's expression. Besides, she and Ron supposedly have been together for two years, and have lived together for even longer. Could she really blame them for thinking like that?</p>
      <p>"It's alright, Molly. I'm sorry if I overreacted, but you just surprised me," Hermione replied with a reassuring tone in her voice, trying not to show how mortified she felt a few moments ago.</p>
      <p>"No worries, dear. When you're both ready, we're going to throw the best engagement party ever," Molly said enthusiastically and Hermione had to grin at this.</p>
      <p>"Is Ron going to be home soon?" Emma asked Hermione changing the subject to Hermione's delight.</p>
      <p>"He'll be here in about three hours," Hermione answered. "He's going to show me the town later today."</p>
      <p>"Awww, that's wonderful! Our little town is so beautiful. You're going to love it, Hermione; I'm sure."</p>
      <p>"Yes, I'm really excited."</p>
      <p>Her mind started drifting once again to her upcoming 'date' with Ron. She was debating with herself whether she should be forward with Ron or she should give him subtle hints about her feelings.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Now that I'm thinking about it, hints were never my friend. Ron never caught on to any of them. But how can I be forward, when I can't even breathe normally when I'm near him?</em>
      </p>
      <p>"Hermione what do you think about that?" she heard her mother's voice asking her.</p>
      <p>"I'm sorry, what?" she asked, looking at both women with a lost expression, clearly having no idea what they were talking about.</p>
      <p>"Molly said that it would be a good idea if after Ron's game on Saturday, we went to see the factory. Your father and I haven't seen it and from what Molly told me, you haven't either. So, what do you think?"</p>
      <p>"Yes, sure. That would be great!" Hermione answered with fake enthusiasm. It wasn't that she didn't want to visit the factory, but her mind couldn't focus enough. "If you'll excuse me now," she added with a smile, leaving the two ladies to continue their talk while she went to her room to prepare herself mentally for the afternoon.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Ron arrived at home a little after 3pm. The training was exhausting, and the drive back home was a nightmare. His body was sore and he went straight to his room for a nap. He wouldn't manage to give Hermione a tour of Ottery St. Catchpole feeling like he was going to fall down from exhaustion.</p>
      <p>The biggest problem though wasn't his sore body, but his restless mind. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't get the image of Hermione in only her underwear last night out of his mind and to make matters worse, now he had the contract offer to think about.</p>
      <p>Upon opening the door of his room, he saw something that made him smile. There, sitting on his bed, was the woman he had been thinking about for the past minutes, hours, days, months, or even years. Hermione was just staring at the ceiling, biting her nails in a nervous way without noticing his presence.</p>
      <p>"What's troubling you, Granger?" he asked, dropping his bags down, causing Hermione to startle.</p>
      <p>"Ron, you are here!" she said blushing, giving him a nervous glance.</p>
      <p>"Really? I hadn't noticed that," he smirked at her.</p>
      <p>Hermione slid off the bed and went to hug him. She held the hug a little more than was necessary on purpose. When she finally broke the hug, she kept her body close to him. "I want to apologize for what happened last night. I really have no control of myself when I'm pissed apparently," she tried to joke nervously, feeling her cheeks going red.</p>
      <p>"Don't worry, beautiful. I know by now that spending time with Ginny can never be a good thing."</p>
      <p>"How was practice?"</p>
      <p>"Exhausting," Ron groaned. "My body is sore and I need to rest," Ron added sighing, taking off his shoes and his jacket.</p>
      <p>Hermione saw that Ron was telling the truth by the grimace on his face and for a moment, she was worried that this could mean they would have to call off their 'date.'</p>
      <p>"You didn't tell me, Hermione; are you okay with me showing you the town today?"</p>
      <p>"Yes, I can't wait."</p>
      <p>"That's good to hear. Now I really need to sleep for a couple of hours though, because I didn't get much sleep last night, thanks to you," he teased her again. Although Hermione laughed, she also felt guilty.</p>
      <p>She gave him an apologetic smile and started walking away from the room when she heard Ron calling her name. When she turned around, she saw him pulling some papers from his bag and giving them to her.</p>
      <p>"While I'm napping, can you take a look at this and tell me what you think?"</p>
      <p>"What is it?"</p>
      <p>"The team is offering me a new contract, but I only have until Friday to make a decision. Don't ask me for any more details now, I'll tell you everything you want later. Can you just see what they are offering me? There are so many difficult words and I really need your help," he pleaded with his sweet smile that Hermione could never resist.</p>
      <p>"Okay, I'll take a look at it right away. You go sleep and let me take care of it," she said and with a newfound courage, she tried to give him a kiss on the cheek. Ron was unaware of that, so he turned his head at the last moment and Hermione ended up kissing him, half on the cheek and half on the lips.</p>
      <p>They were both blushing after that and turned their gazes away from each other. Without saying anything, Hermione left the room as quickly as she could and Ron collapsed on the bed sighing.</p>
      <p>"This girl is going to be the death of me," he mumbled before drifting to sleep a few minutes later.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Hermione walked away quickly and went to Ginny's old room next. She collapsed on the bed putting her hands in front of her face, embarrassed over what had just happened.</p>
      <p><em>I can't even give a single kiss on the cheek without humiliating myself! What's wrong with me? </em>She sighed<em>. Okay, now what's done is done. I should read the contract to take my mind off of that blunder, before I go mental again.</em></p>
      <p>Hermione started reading page after page of the new contract. Luckily for her, she was Ron's lawyer when he signed his previous contract so she was aware of how much Ron was earning.</p>
      <p>After she read the rules of the new contract twice, she had a very good picture of what they were offering Ron. There were offering a three year contract with a raise in salary; it was not a lot more than Ron's current contract, but it definitely was a good raise. Also there were many bonuses based on the number of his appearances in the starting eleven, or on the games where he kept his sheet clean; if Millwall managed to earn a promotion to the Premier League, he would get a great bonus of a yearly raise of his wage by 10%. Overall, it was a good offer for the time being. Not great, but still good.</p>
      <p>What was troubling to her though was a clause about the number of Ron's appearances. Ron's new contract could be automatically terminated if he didn't play in more than 25% of the team's games. Hermione knew that Ron was a good goalkeeper and if he kept showing that in the games there was no reason to be afraid about that clause, but she also knew that an injury is something that can come very easily to an athlete. Ron's new contract offered no safety net in case something went wrong and Ron got injured.</p>
      <p>Knowing how optimistic Ron always was about his job, she knew that he was going to sign the new contract despite that clause, but Hermione made a mental note to herself not to let him do it without fighting to change that clause beforehand.</p>
      <p>Sighing after all the reading and happy that she was ready to answer every question Ron might have about the contract, she went to take a nice long bath.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Three hours later, Ron was by his car with Harry, waiting for Hermione to get ready and meet him. They talked a while about Arsenal and their latest win against Bolton, until Ron decided to tell Harry about his decision to confess his feelings to Hermione.</p>
      <p>"I'm going to do it, mate!" Ron said to Harry, causing him to look at Ron confused. "I'm going to tell Hermione how i feel tonight."</p>
      <p>"That's great, Ron!" Harry replied with genuine happiness in his voice.</p>
      <p>"No, it's not! I'm going to confess my feelings for her and she'll reject me politely. There is nothing great about that, but I need to do it."</p>
      <p>"Well, no matter what the outcome is, you're doing the right thing," said Harry, patting Ron on the back to encourage him.</p>
      <p>
        <em>So that's what getting yourself ready for heartbreak and humiliation is called: doing the right thing. Interesting…</em>
      </p>
      <p>"So, how are you planning on telling her?"</p>
      <p>"I don't have a plan. Ginny caught me earlier and told me that since we are going into town, it would be nice to take her to dinner at Brown's and I guess it's a nive place for what i'm about to do. If we are in public, then she might not laugh in my face," Ron tried to joke. "Not that Hermione is the kind of person who would laugh at me or anything. She's the most wonderful person I know."</p>
      <p><em>The most wonderful and kindest and sweetest and smartest and most beautiful and perfect person I ever had the fortune to meet</em>, Ron was thinking about Hermione with so much love that even Harry noticed it.</p>
      <p>"Wipe that bloody grin off your ugly face, Potter."</p>
      <p>"What! Can't I be happy that my best friend finally is going to have a girlfriend?" Harry teased with an even bigger grin on his face. "Deny it all you want, Ron. It's going to happen," he added quickly, seeing that Ron was ready to object to his statement.</p>
      <p>"Speaking of which, here comes your future wife," Harry told Ron making him turn his gaze to the petite figure of Hermione that was coming towards him.</p>
      <p>Hermione stood nervously in front of the two guys with a shy smile plastered on her face.</p>
      <p>"Hey, Harry."</p>
      <p>"Hey, Hermione. We were just talking about you," Harry said and Ron gave him a murderous look.</p>
      <p>"What about me?"</p>
      <p>"Ron was just telling me that you are the most wonderful person he knows," Harry said, without hiding his amusement at seeing how scarlet both Ron and Hermione became.</p>
      <p>"Okay, have a nice time, alright?" he said giving Hermione a quick hug and winking at Ron without Hermione seeing him do so.</p>
      <p>"Okay, we will," Ron said quickly, but Harry could see him mumbling a soundless <em>bloody tosser, </em>while looking at him.</p>
      <p>"Hey," she said softly. She wore only the slightest layer of makeup, so the blush on her cheeks was natural.</p>
      <p>Ron saw that Hermione was wearing a pair of black jeans and a purple jacket that looked really good on her. She was wearing the knitted scarf his mother gave her for Christmas and a pink knitted hat that Molly gave Ginny; they made her look adorable.</p>
      <p>"You…uhm… look very pretty, Hermione," he said nervously.</p>
      <p>"Thank you, Ron. You look great too," she answered blushing. It was true that Ron looked very handsome. He was wearing a blue shirt and his black leather jacket that she always loved to see him in. His unkempt hairstyle made her go crazy with the thought of running her hands through his fiery locks.</p>
      <p>"I was thinking of walking, but these clouds are worrying me a little. I think it would be best if we took the car, just to be safe in case of rain," Ron suggested and Hermione nodded; it really didn't make any difference to her.</p>
      <p>The ride to the town centre was short and uneventful. They were both too tense to say something; it was like they were both waiting for the other to speak first. They reached their destination five minutes later and Hermione couldn't help but smile at where he took her. Ron had brought her to his old school.</p>
      <p>"Did you make this our first stop for me?" she teased him smiling.</p>
      <p>Ron smiled back. He knew that Hermione couldn't resist seeing his school and the excitement on her face when he suggested that was the proof of it. They got out of the car and stood there for a while admiring the view of the buildings.</p>
      <p>The school was very old, but classy. It had two main buildings: the Primary school and the Secondary school; the two schools were connected by a very tall clock tower. There was also a small theatre, a chapel and a football field. Being Ron, the first thing he was eager to show her was the football field. He reached over and grabbed her hand gently and Hermione immediately intertwined her fingers with his.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Oh my God, he's holding my hand! We are holding hands! Oh. shut up! It's not like he's licking your boobs. It's just holding hands! Friends can hold hands. Get a grip on yourself, Granger!</em>
      </p>
      <p>They walked to the football field and Ron reluctantly broke their hands apart and stood between the goalposts. He faked blocking a shot and started celebrating; the scene caused Hermione to giggle.</p>
      <p>"Weasley saved it! The Lions have won the Cup!" he started shouting while doing a silly victory dance that had Hermione laughing really hard.</p>
      <p>"Weasley is our King! Weasley is our King! He doesn't let a goal in! Weasley is our King!"</p>
      <p>"Did you just make that up?" she teased him raising an eyebrow, still chuckling, but Ron shook his head.</p>
      <p>"No, that's what everybody in Ottery St. Catchpole was chanting whenever we played and I made a good save. I swear."</p>
      <p>Hermione realized that Ron wasn't lying and she beamed at him. "You had your own chant? Ron, that's great!" she said enthusiastically, although a small part of her realized that there were many things about Ron that she still had to learn.</p>
      <p>"Well, I did lead the team to the National School Championship twice," Ron admitted. "The least they could do was to give me a bloody chant," he added cockily, although Hermione knew that he was only kidding.</p>
      <p>"Aren't you modest."</p>
      <p>"One of the thousand wonderful qualities about me."</p>
      <p>Hermione kept smiling and for a moment she imagined herself in the stands, wearing a school shirt and chanting 'Weasley is our King' with everybody else. She wondered if Ron would ever notice her with so many girls after him, like she assumed was the case.</p>
      <p>"Do you think if we went to the same school we would have been friends?"</p>
      <p>"No, I don't think so," Ron answered without thinking too much and Hermione felt really hurt by his answer.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Why couldn't we have been friends? Yes, I'm an insufferable know-it-all sometimes and I'm not into sports, but why would that stop us from being friends?</em>
      </p>
      <p>"Oh, yes, I forgot. You were on the school team, so you wouldn't want to be seen with the nerd that knows everything, has no friends, and likes to spend her free time in the school library, huh?" she replied back in a hurtful tone.</p>
      <p>Ron realized that Hermione misunderstood his words and he gave her a quick hug, which she reluctantly accepted. "Hermione, you have a brilliant mind, but sometimes you talk nonsense, you know that?" he said earning a smile in response from Hermione.</p>
      <p>"I might have been on the school's football team with Harry and had the whole town chanting my name during the games, but I wasn't popular. Or actually I was never popular for the right reasons. I was known for being the poor Weasley kid with the second-hand clothes, and the kid who was best friends with the orphan kid with the thick glasses," Ron said as if it was hurting him to say these words.</p>
      <p>Hermione put a hand on his arm in understanding. Ron smiled and he looked her in the eyes.</p>
      <p>"To answer your question, Hermione, we wouldn't be friends because I was always shy with girls in school, especially the pretty ones. I've seen pictures of you during your high school years, Hermione. There is no chance I could have talked to you back then without my ears going red or stammering like a fool, let alone be friends with you," he said truthfully making Hermione blush.</p>
      <p>"So, now I'm not a pretty girl anymore and that's why you can talk to me and be my friend?"</p>
      <p>Ron moved his face close to Hermione's. His lips were now next to her ears and he softly whispered. "Time changes people, even you. Back then, you were a pretty girl, but now you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life."</p>
      <p>Hermione was having trouble keeping her composure. Being so close to him and hearing him say these sweet words was more than she could handle.</p>
      <p><em>I can't help it anymore! I need to kiss him. Here goes. </em>She closed her eyes for a moment to get the necessary boost of confidence, but Ron didn't notice that and he turned his back on her.</p>
      <p>"Are you up for a little adventure?" he asked her with a mischievous grin, stretching out his hand for her to take.</p>
      <p>Ron's voice brought her back to reality. She was so close to kissing him, but now the moment was gone. She stared at him with a frustrated and confused look, until he pointed to the tall clock tower.</p>
      <p>"I just want to show you something, but we'll have to go all the way to the top," he said and Hermione gasped.</p>
      <p>Her fear of heights was something that troubled her since she was a little girl and she never managed to conquer that fear.</p>
      <p>"No, Ron, that's too high for me. You know how terrified I am of tall heights," she said looking down as if she was embarrassed that she was showing weakness in front of Ron.</p>
      <p>Ron walked over to her and he lifted her chin gently with his thumb. "Come on, Hermione. I'll keep you safe," Ron said with a sweet smile, looking Hermione straight in the eyes. "I promise."</p>
      <p>Hermione melted at the sound of his voice, but she was still reluctant. She saw Ron's pleading face once again and she caved in.</p>
      <p>"Fine. But if I start to feel uncomfortable, we'll leave immediately, alright?"</p>
      <p>They climbed a very narrow ladder with too many steps and when they reached the top Hermione was out of breath.</p>
      <p>"You really need to start working out with me, Hermione. You're out of shape."</p>
      <p>"Well, we, lawyers, are known for our brilliance, not our stamina, Ron," she replied sarcastically trying to regain her normal breathing.</p>
      <p>Ron went to the north side of the tower and slid down on the wall and Hermione did the same, sitting next to him taking her hat off.</p>
      <p>"This is exactly the spot where Harry and I spent most of our free time when we were skipping classes; we would just talk about football and girls," Ron said with a huge smile on his face. Hermione was sure he was reliving those moments.</p>
      <p>"Skipping classes, huh? Why am I not surprised?" she teased him and he laughed. "Did you like school?"</p>
      <p>"I hated it," Ron admitted truthfully. "I wasn't a bad student though. My grades were a little above average and could get me to the university, thank you very much," he added with a smirk. "But unfortunately I never found anything in school that intrigued me."</p>
      <p>"What does intrigue you, Ronald Weasley?" she asked him, more as a teasing, but with genuine desire to hear his answer.</p>
      <p>Ron thought for a moment. "Football, cars, chess… you," he said emphasizing the last word, looking her straight in the eyes.</p>
      <p>Hermione felt her cheeks getting hotter. "I intrigue you?"</p>
      <p>"In ways that you can't even imagine," Ron mumbled but Hermione heard him clearly.</p>
      <p>She didn't know what to make out of this answer, so she chose to ignore it. "What would you do if you had continued your studies and went to university?"</p>
      <p>She never knew that Ron could have had a non-athletic career if he wanted to, and it was a pleasant surprise to learn that he wasn't the worst student in Ottery St. Catchpole as she was suspecting.</p>
      <p>"I don't know, really. I think I was always good at goalkeeping, because I am really good with my hands," Ron replied, without realizing that his answer caused Hermione to go back to the day he gave her that massage.</p>
      <p>"Oh, yes you are," she blurted out, reminiscing about the touch of his hands on her naked back.</p>
      <p>Ron didn't seem to hear her and he went on. "Now that I think about it, I would probably be interested in being a mechanic. When we were younger, we had an old Ford Anglia and my brothers and I spent a lot of time trying to make it work, hence my passion about cars. Now I think I made the right decision because I don't think fixing cars is what I would want to do for a living," Ron said feeling sure about his answer.</p>
      <p>"I wasn't like Harry who knew what he wanted to do and went to the police academy straight after high school. Luckily, the offer from Millwall to play in the Minor League came at the perfect time and that changed everything, because otherwise I would probably have followed Harry to the academy," he said and Hermione didn't know how to react to that.</p>
      <p>"So if you didn't have the offer from Millwall, you would have become a policeman just to be with Harry?"</p>
      <p>"Without a second thought," he said straight without any hesitation. "Harry and I were, and still are, like brothers. He was my first and only loyal friend and I was his. We went through a lot together and we were always there for each other. I would follow him to death if I had to," he added in such a tone that Hermione had no doubt that he believed every word that came out of his mouth.</p>
      <p>Hermione was shocked with how easily Ron made that statement. It was like he didn't realize the dangers of being a policeman. Her thoughts went to Ginny. She realized how difficult it must be for her to see her husband going to work everyday with a constant fear of him not coming back.</p>
      <p>"Why did Harry become a policeman? Ginny told me that they got together before he was set to leave for college. Did he change his mind?"</p>
      <p>Ron shook his head. "He did send some applications to colleges and universities, but I think he always knew that his destiny was to catch criminals and lock them in prison. I suppose in a way it was inevitable, given his past," he said softly with a hint of pain in his voice.</p>
      <p>Hermione felt a pang in her chest remembering what Ron had told her about Harry. She shouldn't be surprised with his decision to become a cop. When your parents are murdered when you're one year old, searching for justice as a career is very logical.</p>
      <p><em>What if Ron had followed him? What if the offer from Millwall never came? How different would Ron's life be? Would we ever have met? Would we be friends? How different would my life be if I hadn't met him? </em>So many questions were going through Hermione's mind at that moment.</p>
      <p>"Do you regret it? Choosing this life instead?"</p>
      <p>"No, I don't," he replied immediately. "Being a football player is what I was meant to do and I'm happy I earn my money doing something I love. Besides if I had followed Harry, I wouldn't have met you and that's something I don't even want to think about."</p>
      <p>Hermione blushed harder than ever. Hearing him say those words made her love him even more. She tentatively held his hand and gave it a light squeeze to show him that she felt the same. A smile crept onto her mouth when she felt Ron's thumb caressing her hand gently.</p>
      <p>"You're wrong by the way. We would definitely be friends if we went to the same school together," she said suddenly, but with a sureness in her voice.</p>
      <p>"What makes you so sure?"</p>
      <p>Hermione locked her eyes with his. "I don't think I could have stayed away from you," she said so softly, that Ron had to strain to hear her words.</p>
      <p>"And I don't know if I've ever told you, but you are the best thing that ever happened in my life, Ron. I don't want to think what my life would be without you."</p>
      <p>There was so much meaning in these words and she was giving away too much about her feelings, but she didn't care. Something inside her was telling her not to be afraid.</p>
      <p>Ron smiled softly at her. "Are you sure? We tend to bicker a lot."</p>
      <p>"That's one of the things I love most about us," she replied, moving her face closer to his.</p>
      <p>"You love us bickering? Are you mental?"</p>
      <p>"I love it, because you are the only person I can argue or fight with, and still know that it doesn't matter. It's our thing. We argue over stupid things, but when it comes down to it, our fights are just a way to show you how much… how much I love you," she said softly, her face getting closer and closer to his.</p>
      <p>"You argue with me, because you love me?"</p>
      <p>"I'm mental. You said it yourself," she whispered as her face was now inches away from his.</p>
      <p><em>I'm going to do it now. No fear and no regrets. I'm in love with him and it's time for him to know that. Just kiss him Hermione</em>, she encouraged herself.</p>
      <p>Ron in the meantime was studying Hermione's face. For what, she wasn't sure, but it made her feel once again lost in his gaze. She tried to stay as impassive as possible, given the fact that she was one step away from grabbing him and snogging him as hard as she could. Then Ron smiled his wonderful smile and gently placed his lips on hers.</p>
      <p>Hermione couldn't register what was happening. She was about to kiss Ron, but instead it was he that had just giving her a short, sweet kiss that left her breathless.</p>
      <p>"What was that for?" she asked sheepishly.</p>
      <p>"That was me kissing you," he replied in a whisper, not taking his eyes off of hers.</p>
      <p>Hermione's breath caught in her throat. "Can you do that again?" Her brown eyes searched his blue ones, looking for some hint of jest or mockery, but there was none. His face was as red as the hair of a Weasley and she felt him hyperventilating.</p>
      <p>A light gust of wind ruffled Hermione's brown hair, covering her face. Ron gently brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face and then touched her cheek. Hermione had to put her hands on Ron's shoulders, because her body seemed to want to collapse. Ron's face was getting closer to hers very slowly, without removing his blue eyes off her brown ones.</p>
      <p>Before anything else could be said or she could regain her senses, Ron leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers once again, harder this time. Not missing a beat, Hermione returned the kiss and it quickly became more passionate than they had ever experienced before.</p>
      <p>They practically mauled each other and their mouths moved at the same rhythm. This time Hermione let Ron's tongue slip into her mouth immediately. One hand was in his hair and the other one was holding his shirt from the collar. She felt his hands on her back, holding her tight as soft moans were coming out of both of their mouths.</p>
      <p>Unfortunately for both of them, a familiar voice from Ron's past ended their moment. "Mr. Weasley!"</p>
      <p>"Bloody hell!" Ron screamed in panic as he removed his lips from Hermione, moving a little away in fear.</p>
      <p>Hermione turned her shocked, pink face to see a middle-aged woman with combed hair and a really long black-green coat, giving both of them a disapproving nod. Then she turned to see Ron who still had a mortified expression on his face.</p>
      <p>"Professor McGonagall?"</p>
      <p>"Shame on you, Mr. Weasley, to use school property for your erotic games," McGonagall scolded him.</p>
      <p>"No, no, no! You misunderstood, professor. This is my girlfriend and I was just… just showing her around," Ron lamely tried to excuse their actions.</p>
      <p>Hermione knew that this was not a good time, but she couldn't help but feel the butterflies in her belly after hearing Ron calling her his girlfriend once again.</p>
      <p>"I know perfectly well what you were showing this girl, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said sarcastically and Ron's face showed his level of embarrassment.</p>
      <p>"I'm sorry, ma'am, but it's my fault. It's my first visit to Ottery St. Catchpole and I asked Ron to show me the town. School was the first thing I wanted to see, so we came here. I'm sorry if we got caught up in the moment for a while, but believe me when I say that Ron and I would never do anything to defile your school. I would never allow that," Hermione said in the most convincing way possible.</p>
      <p>McGonagall turned her attention to Hermione. "And you are?"</p>
      <p>"I'm sorry, professor; this is Hermione Granger, my girlfriend. Hermione, this is my old science teacher, Minerva McGonagall," Ron introduced both women, awkwardly.</p>
      <p>"I would be lying if I said that it's nice to meet you under these circumstances, Miss Granger, but I'm happy that you didn't use some ridiculous excuse for what was happening here. You wouldn't believe what silly excuses I've heard during my time as a professor. Especially from the Weasleys," McGonagall said giving a meaningful glare to Ron, who looked away while trying to look innocent. "Follow me now. It's too chilly for me to be outside for so long," she added, starting to walk away and after they shared an awkward glance, Hermione and Ron followed her inside.</p>
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<a name="section0021"><h2>21. What a day!</h2></a>
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      <p>It was the first time in Hermione's life that she was in the principal's office, not for receiving praise about her hard work and her flawless grades, but to be disciplined for her actions. She knew that she should feel ashamed that she was caught doing forbidden things on school property, but she couldn't.</p>
      <p>All she felt was pure bliss and excitement after what happened between her and Ron. Bliss because she now knew that Ron loved her too and excitement over what was to come.</p>
      <p>She didn't even feel the slightest fear that she might have misunderstood things. No, Ron loved her too. She couldn't deny it anymore. That kiss was not an act. They weren't trying to convince anyone like on Christmas Eve and it wasn't to avoid bad luck like with the mistletoe.</p>
      <p><em>No, that kiss was proof. That kiss was an act of love. Ron loves me. He loves me! He loves me!</em> She kept saying to herself, biting her lower lip and stealing glances from Ron.</p>
      <p>The most wonderful part was that every time their eyes connected, they both couldn't help but give shy smiles to each other and giggle. It was like they were two teenagers finally admitting their feelings and counting the seconds until they would be together again alone.</p>
      <p>Ron, on the other hand, was barely holding himself from grabbing Hermione and snogging her again right there, even if they were in McGonagall's office. He knew that McGonagall would scold him again, but it would be totally worth it. Seeing Hermione's pink face and how she was biting her lips in a mix of nervousness and happiness was making it even worse. She was too cute for words.</p>
      <p>McGonagall entered her office at that moment and sat in her chair, sighing. "Now, can you two explain to me what exactly you were doing in the clock tower, and please Mr. Weasley, don't use the excuse that you were 'showing Miss Granger around,'" she said giving a meaningful glare at Ron.</p>
      <p>"Yeah, I'm sorry about that professor," Ron mumbled, rubbing his neck and looking at the floor as a sign of embarrassment.</p>
      <p>Hermione smiled at Ron's reaction. He was a grown twenty-five year old man and he was acting like a little kid that had just being caught making mischief. She found it so adorable and if the old lady wasn't there, she would have thrown herself at him and kissed him with everything she had.</p>
      <p>She turned her attention to the woman in front of her. "May I speak, Mrs. McGonagall?"</p>
      <p>"Ron wasn't lying when he said that he was …showing me around. It's my first visit to Ottery St. Catchpole and I asked Ron to give me a tour. Ron knows how much I love anything that has to do with school and learning and he knew that the first thing I would want to see is the school he went to when he was younger," Hermione said, giving Ron a loving glance.</p>
      <p>They locked eyes and they both started smiling awkwardly. For a moment, they both forgot where they were and it was McGonagall's voice that broke their moment.</p>
      <p>"Is there more, Miss Granger?" McGonagall's voice shook her out of her reverie.</p>
      <p>"Oh, yes. I'm sorry," Hermione said blushing. "Ron wanted to show me his favorite spot in the school and that's why we were in the clock tower. He started sharing memories from his school years and with the scenery and all, it was too romantic and we -"</p>
      <p>She couldn't complete the sentence. How could she? What were the right words anyway? None of the sentences that came to her mind did justice to what had just happened. How can you describe to a stranger that you had just experienced the most wonderful moment of your entire life? That everything you hoped and wished for had finally come true in the most beautiful way?</p>
      <p>"Please don't think we had bad or inappropriate intentions when you found us," she apologized softly with a weak smile to McGonagall.</p>
      <p>McGonagall gave her a studious look. After a few moments, she gave Hermione a smile. "You seem sincere, Miss Granger. I believe you."</p>
      <p>Hermione smiled back at the woman. She turned to see that Ron had a shocked look on his face.</p>
      <p>"I think that's the first time I ever heard those words come out of your mouth, Professor. None of my sincere excuses ever worked when I was a student here," Ron said, causing his old teacher to roll her eyes and sigh.</p>
      <p>"I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley, but the '<em>my hamster got out of his cage and ate my essay</em>' or the '<em>I didn't do my homework, because burglars broke into our house and stole my books</em>' excuses cannot qualify as sincere," McGonagall replied sarcastically.</p>
      <p>Hermione couldn't help but chuckle at this. She had heard ridiculous excuses in her school years by her classmates, but nothing like that. She wondered for a moment if Ron really thought that he could get away with those stories.</p>
      <p>She gave him a sweet smile, while she was still trying to control herself and not laugh aloud. He smiled innocently back at her, as if he had understood what she was thinking and that it was funny to him too.</p>
      <p>"I've heard that you are making a career as a professional football player. How is this going if I may ask?"</p>
      <p>"Actually, it's going really well right now, but like every job, it has its ups and downs. I'm not complaining though. I love my job."</p>
      <p>"It's good to hear that, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said truthfully with a smile.</p>
      <p>"And how about you, Miss Granger? What do you do for a living?"</p>
      <p>Her face fell at this question. She never really liked to talk about her job, because she hated it. "I work in the legal department of an insurance company," she said unemotionally.</p>
      <p>McGonagall though seemed really impressed with her answer. "That's impressive, Miss Granger. I can assume that you must have been a really good student to enter law school."</p>
      <p>"Well, I have been called a '<em>bookworm</em>' or a '<em>know-it-all' </em>quite a lot, and I have been told that I spent far too many hours in the library studying, but I loved every minute of it," Hermione said with a proud voice. She was never ashamed of her thirst for knowledge.</p>
      <p>"It's better to be a '<em>know-it-all</em>' than act like a '<em>know-nothing-at-all,'</em> Miss Granger," McGonagall replied, looking straight at Ron.</p>
      <p>"Hey, I wasn't that bad."</p>
      <p>"Let's agree to disagree on that, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said sarcastically and Hermione had to fight the urge to chuckle again.</p>
      <p>McGonagall turned her attention back to Hermione. "Something tells me though that you're not happy with you job, Miss Granger. Am I correct?"</p>
      <p>Hermione didn't know why, but something inside her made her feel compelled to be completely honest with McGonagall. Maybe it was that she could never lie to a professor or maybe she felt really comfortable with this woman.</p>
      <p>"Not really. This wasn't the reason I went to law school. I wanted to help people in need, not make profits for bankers," she answered sighing. "But sometimes life doesn't bring us everything we want and we must adapt as smoothly as we can."</p>
      <p>It looked like McGonagall wanted to say something back to Hermione. Instead she closed her mouth and gave Hermione an encouraging nod, before turning her attention back to Ron.</p>
      <p>"I haven't seen Mr. Potter in a while. Is he alright?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah, Harry is fine. Ginny has him on a leash, but other than that, he's fine. They have a son too, little James," Ron replied and McGonagall's face lit up.</p>
      <p>"Harry Potter and Ginerva Weasley are married and have a son," McGonagall said in awe. "Send them my best wishes then, Mr. Weasley."</p>
      <p>"I will, but maybe you'll get to see them all at the carnival, right?"</p>
      <p><em>Wait, what? What carnival? What is Ron talking about?</em> Hermione wondered.</p>
      <p>McGonagall nodded. "I think you're right, Mr. Weasley. I'll make sure to find your family in the carnival and give them my wishes personally. Afterall, Molly always knows how to bake a great shepherd's pie."</p>
      <p>"I'll make sure to tell her then that and prepare a special one just for you."</p>
      <p>At that moment, McGonagall opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out a book. "Miss Granger, allow me to give you this. I'm sure Mr. Weasley is a great tour guide, but this book will help you understand the history of our small town a little better," she said giving Hermione the book. "Don't worry; I have a lot of copies."</p>
      <p>Hermione looked puzzled until she saw the title, "<em>Ottery St. Catchpole, A History.</em>" Her eyes sparkled immediately. "Thank you so much, Mrs. McGonagall. I'm going to read it as soon as I get home."</p>
      <p>"Now, I think I kept you longer than I should have. It was a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Weasley and to meet you, Miss Granger. I hope you'll continue to enjoy your evening…off school property," McGonagall said, as she rose from her seat to give a handshake to Ron and Hermione.</p>
      <p>"The pleasure was all mine," Hermione said with a genuine smile on her face.</p>
      <p>"See you at the carnival, Professor," Ron greeted the woman shaking her hand.</p>
      <p>They turned to leave until they heard McGonagall calling Ron and he turned around. "I'm honestly very happy that I saw you again. It makes me very proud to see my pupils, growing up and having a happy life. That's all I wish for them."</p>
      <p>Hearing these words made Ron feel warm inside. "Thank you, Professor. Believe it or not, I'm really happy I saw you too. I know I wasn't your best student, but I always considered you to be the coolest teacher," he admitted, earning a smile from his old teacher.</p>
      <p>"Now, you two go and have fun," McGonagall ushered them to the exit.</p>
      <p>They started walking outside the school holding hands. Ron gave a shy glance at Hermione and she felt her cheeks burning at this. She reminded herself what had just happened before McGonagall caught them. Ron had kissed her! She closed her eyes for a moment to relive the kiss. How could something so small be the cause of such pure happiness?</p>
      <p><em>Please tell me this isn't a dream. Please don't tell me that I'm going to wake up soon, only to realize that it never happened. God, I love him. I need him. Please don't let this be a dream. Please</em>, she was pleading with herself mentally.</p>
      <p>Ron squeezed her hand gently, and it was then when Hermione realized that this wasn't a dream. Ron was really there, holding her hand, blushing and smiling at her.</p>
      <p><em>Oh my God, it's happening. I'm not dreaming. It's real! </em>She screamed mentally.</p>
      <p>The moment they exited the school building, Hermione stopped walking. She wasn't going to wait for another 'special' moment. She wanted to kiss him again. She wanted to show him what he meant to her. She wanted to show him that she was lying that night when they kissed under the mistletoe and she had told him that his kisses made her feel nothing. She wanted to show him that he makes her feel everything.</p>
      <p>She had no control of her body and mind anymore…not after all that had happened. Ron loved her too and every part of her was screaming not to hold anything back. She was ready.</p>
      <p>Without warning, she grabbed Ron by the neck and pulled him down for a kiss. She didn't care that they were in public and everybody could see them. All she cared about was the taste of his lips and the feeling of his touch.</p>
      <p>Ron didn't know what was happening. One minute he was holding Hermione's hand walking out of the school and the next Hermione crushed her soft lips into his with such a force that she almost knocked him down onto the pavement.</p>
      <p>Despite his original shock, it only took him a couple of seconds to reciprocate the kiss. He responded with such enthusiasm that he actually lifted Hermione off the ground, deepening the kiss. Somewhere in all that passion, he thought he heard a car honking at them and a couple of wolf-whistles, but he couldn't care less. The only sounds he really cared about were the soft moans that were coming out of Hermione's mouth and they were driving him insane.</p>
      <p>When their lips broke apart a minute later, they looked at each other's flushed faces. Both were breathing heavily. Hermione wrapped her hand around his neck and rested her head on Ron's chest and Ron responded by wrapping his arms around her.</p>
      <p>Hermione wanted to feel his heartbeat and feel safe in the embrace of his strong arms. She knew that she was acting like a schoolgirl finding love for the first time, but how far was that from the truth? She never felt anything like this before. Ron was the first guy she had ever been in love with and they could finally be together. If that's not a reason to act a little silly, then she had no idea what was.</p>
      <p>Ron must have felt that need too, because he kept holding her tightly and inhaling the smell of her hair. They stayed like this for a couple of minutes, until Hermione broke the hug. Giving Ron a quick peck on the lips, she held his hand again. "What's next?" she asked grinning.</p>
      <p>Ron wasn't sure if she referred to them or the tour. He had already planned to confess his feelings during the dinner at Brown's, and now he wondered whether it was necessary after what had happened between them, so he decided to put that on hold and focus on showing Hermione his small hometown.</p>
      <p>"Don't worry. There are a lot of things I want to show you," he said mischievously, starting to walk down the road dragging a more than thrilled Hermione with him.</p>
      <p>Over the next few hours, they explored the town holding hands. Ron had shown her all the big monuments. First, they visited the Ottery St. Catchpole parish church, which was built in 1342 and was a miniature version of Exeter's Cathedral. Hermione was dazzled by the beauty of the church.</p>
      <p>After that, they visited the Town Council, the Cadhay Gardens, the park where he used to hang out with Harry and his teammates after school, and everything Ron thought Hermione would like to see.</p>
      <p>Hermione was having the time of her life. She knew that she was probably driving Ron mental with her questions, but he always responded with a smile and never complained about her asking one question after the other. Truth was that Ron wasn't a brilliant tour guide, unless you consider the '<em>over here we have our church; it's really old,</em>' as a good way to describe the most important part of your town.</p>
      <p>During their explorations, she found the time to admire Ottery St. Catchpole. The natural beauty was outstanding. It was a beautiful place to live. It had quaint shops, no traffic, smiling people, trees everywhere, the Otter river passing through the town, kids playing on the playgrounds and even an ice cream man selling cones to the kids.</p>
      <p>Of course, Ron couldn't let the opportunity go to waste and bought ice cream cones for her and himself.</p>
      <p>After they finished exploring the main parts of the town, they ended up back at Ron's old school, both feeling exhausted and hungry. Luckily for them, the Brown's restaurant that they had reservations for was only a hundred yards from the school building.</p>
      <p>Brown's was a nice restaurant that served French cuisine, which was Hermione's favorite. They were quickly seated at their table. Like a gentleman, Ron pulled out Hermione's chair for her and then sat opposite of her. Hermione took her jacket and hat off and placed them on the chair next to her, along with the book McGonagall had given her.</p>
      <p>Although she was talking non-stop during the tour, she found that now she had no idea what to say. Were they supposed to talk about what happened and about their feelings or not? She had no idea, but luckily for her, Ron broke the silence first.</p>
      <p>"So, what do you think about my hometown? Be honest."</p>
      <p>"I love it. It's so peaceful and beautiful. I wish we didn't have to go back after the holidays."</p>
      <p>"Okay, then I'll make sure whenever we have a weekend free, we'll come and visit. My mother would be thrilled to see us more often. What do you say?" Ron suggested and Hermione blushed.</p>
      <p>"I would love that," she agreed softly and Ron's face brightened at her answer.</p>
      <p>One hour later, both Ron and Hermione were enjoying their hot bouillabaisse soup, while they continued to talk about Ottery St. Catchpole and McGonagall. Ron could tell that Hermione really liked his old teacher.</p>
      <p>"So, what do you think about Weasley Week? Are you having a good time or should I apologize for dragging you into this?"</p>
      <p>"Are you kidding me, Ron? I'm having the time of my life. I love your family - all of them!"</p>
      <p>"Even Aunt Muriel?" he teased her, raising an eyebrow.</p>
      <p>Hermione thought for a second. "Well, maybe not Aunt Muriel, but definitely everyone else," she joked back and she and Ron started laughing.</p>
      <p><em>God, I love her laugh</em>, Ron thought, seeing Hermione's giggling face.</p>
      <p>"She didn't know what she was talking about, by the way," said Ron suddenly in a serious tone causing Hermione to look at him confused. "Your hair is perfect. Everything about you is perfect."</p>
      <p>She didn't need a mirror to realize that her face was pink after what Ron said. Shyly she looked at him and saw that Ron was blushing hard too. Then she did something she'd never done before in her life. She removed her right shoe, moved her foot under the table until it found Ron's leg, and started rubbing against it.</p>
      <p><em>Oh my, God. Is that what I think it is? </em>Ron wondered after he felt Hermione's foot against his leg.</p>
      <p>He couldn't believe it. Hermione was playing footsie with him! His eyes found hers and her cute smile was a clear indication that it was her way to flirt with him. He smiled back never taking his eyes off hers.</p>
      <p>
        <em>This girl is going to kill me! First she snogs me in the middle of the street and now she wants to play footsie with me in a restaurant full of people? Who knew? Hermione Granger is full of surprises.</em>
      </p>
      <p>Hermione was feeling very satisfied with herself seeing that Ron was enjoying her idea of footsie. It was something she always wanted to try, because she thought it was very romantic and now she knew that Ron was the only person with whom she would ever do something like that.</p>
      <p>Of course, Hermione knew that sooner or later, she and Ron should have a talk about the new status of their relationship. They couldn't pretend anymore that they were only friends. They were way past the barrier of friendship. Now they were more. They were… What were they? A couple?</p>
      <p>Just the thought warmed her heart. She debated whether or not now was the best time for the talk. Maybe she should just enjoy the dinner and leave the talk for when they got home, but she couldn't wait. Just as she was about to speak, a young blonde boy came to their table looking intently at Ron.</p>
      <p>Hermione sighed and cursed under her breath for the boy's timing, but she was also curious why he was looking at Ron like that.</p>
      <p>Ron noticed the intense gaze of the boy too and he was ready to ask him why he was doing that, when the boy started shouting enthusiastically.</p>
      <p>"Oh, my God, you are Ronald Weasley!"</p>
      <p>Ron and Hermione shared a puzzled look. "Do I know you?"</p>
      <p>The boy shook his head. "No, you don't. My name is Ryan Foster, and I'm the Lion's goalkeeper," he introduced himself.</p>
      <p>That immediately caught Ron's interest. "Oh, that's great! How is the team doing this year?" he asked Ryan excitedly.</p>
      <p>The boy's excitement fell off his face and now was replaced by embarrassment. "Not very well. We still haven't won a game."</p>
      <p>"Well, don't let that get you down. I'm sure the wins will come soon," Ron tried to encourage the boy.</p>
      <p>"I doubt it, sir. We are not that good. In our last game, we lost 6-0. The whole town saw us. It was embarrassing. For me especially, since I'm the goalkeeper," Ryan said defeated.</p>
      <p>Ron knew exactly what this boy was feeling. He still remembered his first games as the Lion's goalkeeper when he was dreadful and let too many goals in. It was Harry, as the team's captain, that kept him in the spot. But Ron also knew that sometimes good things take time to happen and you never must stop trying and always believe in yourself.</p>
      <p>He looked at the boy with the determination to help him. "Listen to me, Ryan. There is a very thin line between winning and losing. Sometimes you can do everything perfectly and still lose and other times you can make one mistake after another and still win. That's how football is. That's why it's the greatest sport on the planet. The important thing is to give it your best and never let yourself doubt your abilities."</p>
      <p>Ryan made a grimace. "The truth is that the team would be a lot better with another goalkeeper. I'm not as great as you are. I wish I could be like you, but unfortunately I suck."</p>
      <p>Ron smiled. "I'm not that good. Believe me."</p>
      <p>"Are you kidding me? You are Ronald Weasley! Twice you led the Lions to the finals and you hold the national school record of more minutes without conceding a goal - 1,144 minutes! And now you are a professional player! If Millwall gains promotion, you'll play in the Premier League and who knows? There are no other good English goalkeepers at the moment, so you can play for the National Team too!" Ryan exclaimed loudly, making a few heads from the other tables turn their attention to them.</p>
      <p>Ron found the boy's enthusiasm amusing, but he also felt proud that a young boy from his hometown had such faith in his abilities.</p>
      <p>"Thank you for your support, Ryan. And I'm sure that you don't suck. Like every athlete, you just need to find you rhythm," Ron kept trying to make the boy believe in himself and stop whining.</p>
      <p>"I doubt I can do that, sir. Every time we have a game, my legs are heavy, my knees are shaking, and my eyesight is blurry. I don't have that problem in practice though. Actually in practice, I rarely let a goal in, but in the games…" he sighed. "My coach says that I have the skills, and the problem is in my head. He says I must stop letting my insecurities and my nerves get into my game, but I don't know how to do that. I think he's just trying to be nice."</p>
      <p>Ron fought the urge to laugh with the irony. He was actually giving advice to a sixteen year old version of himself.</p>
      <p>"Your coach is right. I was exactly like you at your age. But you know what I did?" he asked Ryan who shook his head.</p>
      <p>"I realized that I love playing football. And when you love something, you mustn't be afraid of it. That's not how it's supposed to be. You must embrace it with everything you have and never let it go," he said, but he was looking at Hermione while he was saying those words.</p>
      <p>Hermione was looking back at Ron and she felt her heart beating so fast and so loud that for a moment she was afraid that everyone in the restaurant could hear it. She wanted to tell Ron that this is how she felt about him too. That she loves him and never wants to let him go.</p>
      <p>"I'll try, sir" Ryan said shyly. He then pulled out his mobile phone from his pocket. "Can I take a photo of us to show to the guys at school?"</p>
      <p>Ron was surprised by the boy's request. "Sure. Why not?" he answered, while Ryan gave his mobile to Hermione to take a good snapshot of the two of them.</p>
      <p>After that, Ryan thanked Ron and apologized to Hermione for interrupting their dinner. Ron stared at the boy as he went to sit with his parents and hoped that his advice helped him, even a bit. He noticed that Hermione was now grinning at him.</p>
      <p>"Don't say a word, alright?" he told her with a meaningful glare.</p>
      <p>"What? Can't I be proud that my boyfriend is a celebrity?" Hermione tried to tease him, but immediately put a hand over her mouth when she realized what she had just said.</p>
      <p>Ron didn't know how to react to Hermione's comment. He knew one thing though; he loved hearing her call him her boyfriend. He felt his ears going red and sensing how embarrassed Hermione must be feeling, he decided to change the subject.</p>
      <p>"Did you take a look at my contract while I was sleeping?"</p>
      <p>Hermione sighed in relief that Ron was putting her out of an awkward situation.</p>
      <p>"I did and I can tell you that it's an interesting offer," she answered awkwardly, still feeling embarrassed for her slip-up.</p>
      <p>"I see," Ron said with worry in his voice. "Well, I think we should talk about it when I come home from practice tomorrow, alright?"</p>
      <p>She was actually ready to tell him that he shouldn't be worried about his new contract, but at the mention of tomorrow she remembered what she and Ginny planned for the nightclub!</p>
      <p>"Speaking of tomorrow, did Ginny tell you anything?"</p>
      <p>Ron sighed. "You mean about the nightclub in Devon? Yeah, she told me and i guess i don't have a choice."</p>
      <p>Hermione noticed the sound of his voice and his sighs, and she didn't like it. "What is it? You don't like that place?"</p>
      <p>Ron shook his head. "It's not that, Hermione. Usually when we go into this nightclub, we come home a little before sunrise and I can't do that now. I need a good night's sleep, if I don't want to collapse from exhaustion in practice. As much as I want to come and have fun with the rest of you, I don't think it's a good idea for me to go," he said sadly, because he really wanted to go and have a dance with Hermione.</p>
      <p>Hermione swallowed really hard. It was exactly what she was afraid of and the worst part was that she couldn't blame Ron for not wanting to come. Ron didn't have the luxury of time and a true holiday like the rest of them. She felt defeated, but then she remembered something.</p>
      <p>"Ron, I wasn't planning to stay long either. In case you forgot, as your lawyer, i must be with you during your contract negotiations."</p>
      <p>Ron had totally forgotten that he needed to have Hermione with him in the negotiations and even though he still wasn't sure that going to a nightclub was a good idea, he couldn't let the opportunity of dancing with Hermione go to waste.</p>
      <p>Hermione saw that Ron was still skeptical and she reached over the table, grabbed his left hand gently and gave it a squeeze. "We'll go together, have a drink, and a couple of hours later we'll leave, how does that sound?"</p>
      <p>Ron saw the anxiety and hope in Hermione's face. She seemed like she really wanted to go to that club and Ron decided that if it was only for a couple of hours then there was no harm. "That sounds good."</p>
      <p>Hermione beamed at him and sighed happily. Now she had her chance to show Ron that she wasn't only books and ugly cotton pajamas. She had a chance to show him, or at least try to show him, that there was more to her than that. After all her efforts with Ginny to find the perfect dress, it would be a huge blow if their endless searching and planning was for nothing.</p>
      <p>She started imagining what it would be like to dance with Ron. She never had the chance before. She wondered if he was a good dancer. She wasn't afraid about her dancing skills. Thanks to her mother's persistence, she took dancing lessons since she was six years old; it was probably the only area, besides schoolwork and piano that she was good at.</p>
      <p>"I think it's time for pudding. What do you say?"</p>
      <p>Hermione stared at Ron. Once again, she felt like she was drowning in his blue eyes. She couldn't wait any longer. The only pudding she wanted to taste now was whipped cream on his lips, but she couldn't say that out loud. "Yes, a strawberry mousse for me."</p>
      <p>Ron made a nod to the waiter and she excused herself to go to the bathroom. The night was coming to an end and if she was going to have the talk with Ron, she wanted to make sure she looked good first. It wasn't just vanity. She felt that when you want to confess your feelings to the person you love, it would be a good idea to look the best you can.</p>
      <p>As Hermione walked to the ladies' room, Ron couldn't help but admire her figure from behind. He tried to not allow any sexual thoughts enter his mind, at least not before they got home and had a nice talk, but it wasn't an easy task. Taking a sip of his wine, he tried to think of something other than Hermione's bum, unaware that a female figure was approaching him slowly.</p>
      <p>"You never called," Ron heard a woman's sweet voice saying.</p>
      <p>Ron turned to see the owner of that voice. She was the last person he expected to see at that moment. "Lavender, what are you doing here?" he asked with a shocked expression.</p>
      <p>"You just took the words out of my mouth," she replied, sitting on Hermione's vacant chair without asking for permission.</p>
      <p>"This is my hometown. I came to spend the holidays with my parents. What are you doing here?"</p>
      <p>"I'm stalking you, of course," Lavender said with a straight face, and Ron's eyes widened in terror. "By the way, the back right tire of your car seems a little loose. You should check it out," she added grabbing a knife from the table and this time not only his eyes, but also his entire body sensed terror.</p>
      <p>That was until he saw Lavender burst into laughter. "I'm just kidding, Ron. I came with my mum to spend the Christmas holidays with my uncle," she said through her laughs. "You should have seen your face though! You totally bought it! I guess the acting lessons are really paying off."</p>
      <p>Ron rolled his eyes in annoyance and sighed. "Yeah, yeah, very funny."</p>
      <p>"Oh, come here," Lavender said getting up from her seat and giving Ron a quick hug. "It's really good to see you, Ron."</p>
      <p>"It's good to see you too," he said awkwardly. He gave her a really good look now and he had to admit that she looked bloody hot. Her short red dress accentuated her generous cleavage and highlighted all her curves.</p>
      <p>He gulped, not from desire, but from the fear of Hermione coming out of the bathroom and seeing her there. How could he really explain that it was just a coincidence? And how the hell out of all the places in the town, was Lavender in this restaurant?</p>
      <p>Then he made the connection in his mind between Lavender Brown and Brown's restaurant. "So, does your uncle own this restaurant? How come I never saw you here before?"</p>
      <p>"I've only been here a couple of times before. It's usually my uncle who comes to visit me and my mum in London, but I didn't come to your table to talk about my uncle. I came because I saw you sitting with that pretty girl and I got curious," Lavender said looking at the restroom and Ron realized she was referring to Hermione. "Are you two together?"</p>
      <p>
        <em>Oh, God, what does she want? A small talk about my love life? I don't have time for this. I hope she's gone before Hermione comes back. I really don't need to have Hermione see Lavender.</em>
      </p>
      <p>"Uhm… it's complicated," Ron answered truthfully.</p>
      <p>"You love her though. I was watching you for some time and saw the way you look at her," she stopped and let out a big sigh. "I wish I had someone to look at me like that."</p>
      <p>"Lavender, if you turn your head around, you'll see a dozen of guys giving you that look," Ron pointed out, confused with Lavender's statement.</p>
      <p>It was true that every single male in the restaurant was stealing glances from Lavender whenever she wasn't looking and Ron was aware that he was receiving some envious glances from these guys too, now that Lavender was sitting at his table.</p>
      <p>"That's lust, Ron. I'm talking about love," said Lavender dreamily. "And you are lucky because she loves you too, Ron. God, how much she loves you. I could tell by the way that she was looking at you. We, women, notice these things. Actually you both are quite the sight, I might add," she teased him, but Ron noticed she was actually genuinely happy for him.</p>
      <p>He didn't expect that and he realized that he probably didn't treat Lavender in the right way. He never explained his feelings and he had promised her that he would call but never did. He felt like a royal arse right now. "I'm sorry I never called."</p>
      <p>Lavender shook her head. "Don't be. I'm not. I do like you, Ron, and I would love you to call me, and for us to go on more dates and get to know each other better. But seeing you here now with this girl and how you look at her, I'm happy you never called."</p>
      <p>Ron's cheeks once again went red. <em>Am I so bloody obvious?</em> He wondered.</p>
      <p>"What's her name?" Lavender asked him.</p>
      <p>"Hermione."</p>
      <p>Lavender gave Ron her biggest smile. "Hermione's the one, Ron. Eyes never lie."</p>
      <p>Hermione was in the ladies' room, looking at her reflection in the mirror regretting her choice of not taking her bag with her. She could really use some lipstick or maybe another thin layer of make-up on her face. Sighing that she couldn't do anything about her appearance, she tried to prepare herself mentally.</p>
      <p>
        <em>I can do it. After all, there is nothing to be afraid of…not anymore. I know it now. He loves me. Oh my, God. He really loves me! It's not a dream. It's real.</em>
      </p>
      <p>Her eyes closed once again and she remembered the kiss in the tower. She then reveled in the memory of the kiss they shared outside his school, which she initiated and he responded to. She opened her eyes now staring at her flushed mirror image, encouraging herself that more amazing moments were coming.</p>
      <p><em>Don't be scared, Hermione. Go out there and pour out your heart to him. Don't hold anything back. Tell him everything. Don't be afraid. He loves you. He loves you. He loves you, </em>she kept saying to herself while looking in the mirror.</p>
      <p>Taking a last deep breath, Hermione came out of the bathroom, ready to confess everything to Ron. After a few steps though, she stopped. The sight of a blonde beautiful woman, wearing a sexy red dress and sitting in her seat, made her body freeze.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Who the hell is that bitch? And why the hell is she sitting in my seat?</em>
      </p>
      <p>She knew that there must have been a very good reason for Ron to allow another girl to sit in her chair, but wasn't sure if she should go back to their table now. The girl was simply stunning. She was debating with herself whether she should feel bad that she didn't listen to Ginny and wear that purple dress instead of her jeans or feel glad that she didn't, because the comparison with that girl would be very uneven.</p>
      <p>For a moment, she considered going back to the bathroom, but before she had the chance to, Lavender spotted her and smiled at her.</p>
      <p><em>That bitch has some nerve smiling at me. Oh, well, I can't hide now</em>. With short steps, she approached the table ready to hear a very reasonable explanation from Ron.</p>
      <p>"Hey, you must be Hermione. Nice to meet you. I'm Lavender, Lavender Brown," she heard the blonde girl saying, as she rose from her seat and stretched out her hand for a handshake.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Lavender Brown? I know that name! She's the model Ron went out with. What's going on? Is she here because Ron invited her? Oh my God, please don't tell me that they are together. Not after what happened between me and Ron. Not now. He loves me. Not that daft dimbo. He loves me. He loves me. He loves me?</em>
      </p>
      <p>Hermione reluctantly gave Lavender a handshake, squeezing a bit harder than normal.</p>
      <p>"Wow, you have a really strong handshake," Lavender said wincing a little in pain and Hermione's lips curved in a small smile.</p>
      <p>"Nice to meet you, Lavender," Hermione lied.</p>
      <p>"Lavender is the owner's niece and came to visit him for the holidays. She saw me and came to greet me. I've told you about Lavender, right?" Ron said really fast, blushing. He really felt uncomfortable at that moment.</p>
      <p>"Of course, you did. Nice to match the name with a face, Lavender," Hermione lied again with a fake smile.</p>
      <p>Silence fell on the table for a few moments, until Lavender decided it was time for her to leave Ron and Hermione to their dinner.</p>
      <p>"I'll let you two go back to your dinner. It was nice meeting you, Hermione," Lavender said with another handshake. Then she pulled Ron into a tight embrace and whispered something in his ear that caused Ron to blush harder than ever; after that, she left the table. Hermione looked simply furious.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Who the hell does she think she is, whispering things in my boyfriend's ear in front of me? And why did Ron let her? Do they have secrets? What's going on?</em>
      </p>
      <p>"What a coincidence, huh?" said Ron with an awkward chuckle as he sat back down on his chair.</p>
      <p>Hermione nodded with a small smile, but inside, she was dying to know what Lavender whispered in his ear. Sitting in her chair, she tried to decide how to handle the situation. She could just let it go and focus on her flirting with Ron or she could let her jealous side win. Unfortunately, for Ron and herself, she opted for the second choice.</p>
      <p>"What did she say to you before she left?" she asked him trying to sound as innocent as she could.</p>
      <p>"Um… nothing," Ron stammered, still blushing.</p>
      <p>Hermione felt her heart sink. Obviously, Ron and Lavender were sharing something that she wasn't allowed to know. Millions of dark thoughts were penetrating her mind and she tried in vain to ignore them.</p>
      <p>"She told you something, Ron. I saw it," she insisted, looking him straight in the eyes.</p>
      <p>Ron let a deep sigh looking back at her. "It was nothing important, Hermione."</p>
      <p>"If it's nothing important, why can't you tell me?"</p>
      <p>"Can't you just drop it, Hermione, so we can go back to our dinner? Why must you be so nosey? I already told you it was nothing. Just forget about it," Ron said trying to put an end to the discussion.</p>
      <p>Hermione felt her blood boil. "Oh, I'm nosey now, am I?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah, right now, you are! You were fine before you went to the loo. What the hell has gotten into you?" Ron replied also raising his voice, but not so much that anyone besides Hermione could hear him.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Is he seriously asking what's gotten into me? After everything that happened between us, why does he still not know why I have a problem seeing another woman whispering things in his ear? Doesn't he realize how much he's hurting me right now by keeping secrets from me?</em>
      </p>
      <p>She felt her eyes watering and she tried to stay strong. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Can we go home?"</p>
      <p>"You can't be serious."</p>
      <p>"Can we go home, please?" she repeated, trying to keep the tears from rolling down.</p>
      <p>"Are you feeling sick?" he asked irritated, but Hermione shook her head. "Then why do you want to go home?"</p>
      <p>Hermione didn't give him a straight answer. "I want to go home, Ron."</p>
      <p>"Well, I already ordered dessert and I don't plan on leaving before I eat it," Ron retorted. "Besides it's raining. Have you noticed?" he added sarcastically, completely annoyed with Hermione's childish behavior.</p>
      <p>"Fine, then I'll walk home," Hermione snapped, getting up from her chair and grabbing her stuff. "You stay here and enjoy your dessert, and since I won't be here you can invite your precious Lavender to come join you at this table so you can continue whispering in each other's ears," she finished her rant with a hurtful and accusing tone in her voice, while the first tears were falling down her cheeks.</p>
      <p>Ron watched Hermione leave the restaurant and sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. A minute later, the waiter came with the desserts, and Ron found the chance to pay the bill, before he started going after Hermione.</p>
      <p>He hoped that she wouldn't be stupid enough to start walking back home in the heavy rain and she would be waiting for him by the car. Alas, she was more stubborn than he thought.</p>
      <p>He quickly got in his car and started driving towards home, but very carefully so he could spot Hermione. After a quarter of a mile, he saw her walking down the main road that led to the Burrow and sighed in relief, but still felt angry at her behavior.</p>
      <p>He drove to her and when he got close, he opened the passenger's window. "Get in the car, Hermione!" he shouted.</p>
      <p>Hermione ignored him and that made him madder. "Hermione, stop being a child and get in the bloody car! You're soaking wet. You might catch pneumonia!"</p>
      <p>"Like you care!" she snapped angrily.</p>
      <p>Ron stopped the car and then got out. He grabbed Hermione by the elbows, but not too violently, and forced her into the car. Cursing under his breath, he got back into the car again and started driving to the Burrow.</p>
      <p>"Real mature behavior, Hermione. Did they teach you that in law school?" he asked her sarcastically with an angry tone in his voice.</p>
      <p>"Among other things," she replied equally sarcastically. "And I'm glad that now I know that you think I'm immature and nosey. Do you have any other adjectives to describe me?"</p>
      <p>"Stubborn, irrational, childish, jealous…take your bloody pick."</p>
      <p>Hermione let out a fake laugh. "Jealous? Oh, please! I'm not jealous of that cow."</p>
      <p>"Then why did you leave like that, Hermione? Why are you crying? Why does what Lavender whispered in my ear so bloody important to you if you're not jealous?"</p>
      <p>"I'm not jealous!" she yelled in anger.</p>
      <p>Ron didn't say anything back, because he knew it was a waste of time. Hermione would never admit to him something like that, no matter how obvious it was. Also, since they were close to home now, he wanted to calm her a bit. The last thing he wanted was his mother to hear them fighting because he would never hear the end of it.</p>
      <p>When they reached the house, Ron told Hermione to go inside while he parked the car in the garage. Hermione agreed more than happily and walked hurriedly into the house. She went silently to their room and quickly took off her shoes and jacket, and grabbed her pajamas.</p>
      <p>Ron had just entered the room when Hermione walked past him without giving him a glance. "I'm going to take a shower," she simply said, walking to the bathroom.</p>
      <p>"Why? All this rain wasn't enough?" Ron asked sarcastically, but Hermione' response was to close the bathroom door with more force than necessary.</p>
      <p>Ron didn't know what to do. He stripped down to his boxers and shirt and then collapsed on the bed sighing.</p>
      <p>
        <em>What a day! One minute I'm in paradise and the next, Lavender is whispering me something in my ear and it's paradise lost! Maybe it's my fault. If I just told Hermione what Lavender told me then she wouldn't be like that, but how could I tell her? It would be too bloody awkward.</em>
      </p>
      <p>Ten minutes later, he heard a phone ringing. It was Hermione's mobile. It was coming from her jacket. He pulled it out and looked at the screen.</p>
      <p><em>Who the bloody hell is Draco?</em> he wondered.</p>
      <p>Just then, he heard the door to the bathroom opening and Ron quickly put the phone back where it was.</p>
      <p>Hermione came into the room dressed in a bathrobe and went for her mobile, still ignoring Ron. She smiled when she saw who was calling her. "Hey, Draco, what's up?"</p>
      <p>"Hey, Hermione, sorry for calling you during your vacation, but I have great news, girl, that can't wait! Are you sitting?" Draco said excited.</p>
      <p>Hermione sat on the bed, as far away as possible from Ron. "Yes, I am actually."</p>
      <p>"I just set up an interview for you at Lupin &amp; Tonks!"</p>
      <p>Hermione jumped up from the bed. "Draco, please tell me you're not joking," she pleaded with him, not wanting to believe that it was a prank.</p>
      <p>Lupin &amp; Tonks were one of the biggest law firms and they were heavily associated with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). It would be like a dream for her to work for them.</p>
      <p>"I'm not, girl! My boyfriend, Tom, is Lupin's nephew and I met him and his wife Tonks yesterday at Tom's birthday party. They said they had an opening and I talked to them about you and how you would be very interested in the job and they gave me their number for you to call them."</p>
      <p>She put a hand over her mouth to keep herself from screaming for joy. "Oh my, God, Draco. this is the best belated Christmas gift ever! Thank you so much!" she shrieked with joy.</p>
      <p>"Don't mention it. Besides I just set up the interview. It's you that must convince them that you're perfect for the job."</p>
      <p>"I will, Draco. This is what I've been waiting for," she said excitedly.</p>
      <p>"Listen though. If you want, you can meet them tomorrow unofficially. They'll come by the office and then we're going for lunch with them. What do you say?"</p>
      <p>She didn't think about it for even a second. "I'll be there, Draco. I'm not going to miss this opportunity."</p>
      <p>"Have no worries, girl. You're going to dazzle them with your brilliance," Draco complimented her.</p>
      <p>She smiled at Draco's words and for the first time during the phone call from Draco she looked at Ron. She saw him pretending that he wasn't listening to what she was talking about on the phone and suddenly an idea came to her.</p>
      <p>She was still very angry with him for accusing her of acting childish after what happened with Lavender, and she wanted him to pay the price.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Let's see who's jealous, Mr. Ronald Weasley.</em>
      </p>
      <p>"Oh, come on. Stop it. You're making me blush," she fake giggled.</p>
      <p>"No, I'm serious."</p>
      <p>Hermione eyes went to Ron. She knew it! His eyes was suddenly glued to her and looked like he was about to snap. <em>He can take more, </em>she thought<em>.</em></p>
      <p>"You're so sweet. Tomorrow I'll give you a big kiss on your soft lips. You deserve it, baby," Hermione said in a seductive voice.</p>
      <p>Draco made a puking noise. "Hermione, that's gross."</p>
      <p>Hermione's satisfaction was getting bigger seeing Ron's face becoming red in anger. <em>You wanted to play that game, Weasley</em>.</p>
      <p>"Draco, I can't do this right now. I'm not alone," she pretended to whisper, but she was talking loud enough for Ron to hear her.</p>
      <p>"You can't do what?"</p>
      <p>Ron turned his fingers into fists and Hermione was sure that after her next comment, he was going to explode. <em>You like that feeling, baby? You like seeing the person you love keeping secrets from you?</em></p>
      <p>Hermione giggled again like she was flirting. "Draco, stop it! I've told you so many times, not on the phone."</p>
      <p>"I'm sorry what not on the phone? Hermione, what are you saying? I don't understand a thing."</p>
      <p>"I'll see you tomorrow. I can't wait," she said seductively.</p>
      <p>"Yeah… hmmm, yeah. See you tomorrow," Draco stammered, putting down the phone.</p>
      <p>Hermione wasn't finished with her act. She put the phone over her heart and let out a soft sigh.</p>
      <p>"Who was that?" Ron demanded to know.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Someone is jealous! Sorry, handsome, you asked for it.</em>
      </p>
      <p>"A friend from the office," she answered innocently.</p>
      <p>"What did he want?"</p>
      <p>"To tell me that I need to go by the office tomorrow, so I'll come with you in the morning," she informed him.</p>
      <p>She saw him nodding but she could tell that there was more. A small smirk appeared on her mouth. Her plan had obviously been a great success.</p>
      <p>"What about the giggles? Was he telling you a joke?"</p>
      <p>
        <em>Welcome to my life, Ron. Enjoy it.</em>
      </p>
      <p>"Oh, that? That was nothing," she said using the same expression Ron used when he said the same thing about Lavender.</p>
      <p>It was obvious from Ron's grimace that he was ready to snap back that this wasn't nothing and that clearly she and that guy were having a more personal talk than just work. She saw him getting ready to answer and she was up for the challenge.</p>
      <p>Suddenly she saw his expression changing and him giving out a small laugh. "I know what you're doing and it's not going to work," he said shaking his head.</p>
      <p>Hermione shook her shoulders. "Oh, what am I doing?"</p>
      <p>"You're trying to make me feel jealous of that prick. It's not working," said Ron, although by the sound of his voice it was very clear that it was a lie and that Hermione's plan was working just fine.</p>
      <p>"Why would I want to make you feel jealous of Draco? Is there a reason you should feel jealous of him?" she challenged him.</p>
      <p>"Is there a reason why you are jealous of Lavender?" he challenged her back.</p>
      <p>Just the mention of Lavender's name was enough to make Hermione lose it. "I'm not jealous of that dimbo!"</p>
      <p>"Then I'm not jealous of that git either."</p>
      <p>"Draco is not a git," Hermione snapped.</p>
      <p>"And Lavender is not a dimbo," Ron snapped back.</p>
      <p>It was like they were locked in a staring contest. Hermione was the one who decided to look away first. She walked to the closet and pulled out a blanket.</p>
      <p>"I'm going to sleep in Ginny's old room," she stated before walking away, without giving Ron another glance or even saying goodnight.</p>
      <p>Ron didn't say anything too as he watched her leave. He simply lay down on his bed, turned the lights off and tried to sleep. He needed a good sleep to make it through tomorrow's practice. He didn't have time for Hermione's games.</p>
      <p>Thirty minutes later, Ron was still trying desperately to sleep, but something was bothering him. He fixed his pillow and blanket, and he tried to sleep on his back and then on his ribs, but nothing was working.</p>
      <p>Then he thought that maybe the sound of the thunder was keeping him awake since it wasn't just raining anymore. There was a good storm outside and Ron prayed it wouldn't last until morning. He hated driving in the rain. But that wasn't what was troubling him and keeping him awake. He knew what it was.</p>
      <p>Turning his head, he was now staring at the empty left side of the bed, and he realized what was missing. It was the first time this week, that he couldn't feel Hermione's body on him or smell her skin and it made him feel completely empty.</p>
      <p>Another thunderclap was heard from outside. He remembered how Hermione was always scared of thunder. Whenever there was a storm, she would come to his bed pleading with him to let her sleep with him and keep her safe. Ron never said no to that. Good friends help each other, after all. Those were the only times they would ever sleep together without her mum there.</p>
      <p>His eyes fell on her pillow. He reached out and grabbed it pulling it close to him. It still smelled like her; he hugged it as tight as he could, but it wasn't enough. Truth was that Ron was realizing that the problem wasn't so much Hermione's physical absence from his bed, but the fact that they had a fight. After the Krum incident, they rarely went to bed on bad terms and even then, everything was alright in the morning…like nothing happened.</p>
      <p>Ron really doubted that the morning would be any different from now. They weren't home anymore. Their fight wasn't about his laziness in doing chores, her obsession with punctuality, or the usual subjects of their squabbles. No, this time was different and what really scared Ron, was that neither he nor Hermione ever had to deal with this situation in the past. Jealousy was never an issue between them. Well, maybe it was subconsciously, but now they couldn't pretend anymore.</p>
      <p>Also, how could he sleep now, knowing about Hermione's feelings? He was sure that Hermione loved him too. It wasn't wishful thinking or hopes of a romantic fool anymore. He knew that she was in the next room feeling as empty as he did, but she was letting her pride and stubbornness get the better of her.</p>
      <p>He looked at the door of his room. How easy it would be to just open that door and walk three feet to knock on her door? Not so easy was the answer that first came to mind. But maybe it was supposed to be he that made the first step this time. Maybe it was his turn to pluck up the courage, set his pride aside, and be the brave one.</p>
      <p>He slid off the bed. He was cold now without the warmth of a blanket, wearing only his boxers and a shirt, but he had bigger issues to worry about. Before leaving, his eyes spotted a book on the desk; it was the book McGonagall had given to Hermione and if he remembered right, Hermione was eager to read it as soon as they got home. It was his chance.</p>
      <p>Taking the book with him, he walked a few meters and found himself outside the door of Ginny's old room. He stood there a few seconds. He wondered what he would say when she opened the door. He didn't go there to make a love confession because the day was already messed up as it was. No, this would have to wait for another day. For now, all he wanted to do was to make sure she was alright and maybe convince her to come back to their bed.</p>
      <p>Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He knocked again, but got the same response. He didn't knock a third time. He just opened the door and walked into the room.</p>
      <p>He saw Hermione lying on Ginny's old bed, with her face in the pillow, sobbing. He took a step forward and the floor creaked. Surprisingly, it was something that Hermione heard this time. She turned around abruptly and for the first time since they got home, they made eye contact.</p>
      <p>Ron's heart broke at that moment. Hermione's tears still kept falling from her eyes and all he wanted to do was to go to her, use his thumbs to wipe all her tears away, kiss her eyelids and then hold her until the morning.</p>
      <p>Hermione turned her back to him, so she was now facing the wall. She wiped her face with her hands and stayed like that with her back to him.</p>
      <p>"You forgot your book," Ron quietly said. "You said you wanted to read it when you got home."</p>
      <p>Hermione still didn't turn to look at him. Ron could hear her sniffles and wanted to say something, but instead he just placed the book on the bed next to Hermione and then he turned to walk away. When he was at the door, he stopped.</p>
      <p>"You are kind, brilliant, caring, funny, gracious, supportive, witty, charming, exceptional, selfless… and beautiful," he said softly. "These adjectives describe you better."</p>
      <p>He stood there for a few seconds, waiting for Hermione's reaction, but she never turned her head to see him. She still kept her back to him.</p>
      <p>Defeated, he walked slowly back to his room. His bed felt colder than before and he was sure that a sleepless night was coming. He stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, until he heard some soft footsteps coming towards his room. It was Hermione. A drop of hope flooded his heart.</p>
      <p>Hermione was standing by the door, breathing heavily; her eyes were still wet. She was staring at him, and he was staring back hopeful. "I don't like thunders."</p>
      <p>"I know," Ron said, lifting the covers from the bed, motioning for her to come and lie down next to him.</p>
      <p>Hermione practically ran to the bed and she quickly wrapped her arms around Ron's neck and curled her body into his. "Hold me, Ron," she whispered, snuggling into his arms. "Don't leave me," she added in sobs.</p>
      <p>Ron hugged her more tightly and covered both of them with the blanket. He started caressing her hair gently, while he felt the tears from Hermione soaking his t-shirt. "Never," he whispered back, kissing her forehead.</p>
      <p>Holding each other and never letting go, Hermione finally stopped shedding tears as they both drifted off to sleep.</p>
    </div>
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<a name="section0022"><h2>22. The L word</h2></a>
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      <p>Hermione woke up in the middle of the night, after hearing some loud giggling noises coming from the next room. She rolled over to hug Ron, but surprisingly he wasn't there. She looked around the room but there was no sign of him.</p>
      <p>
        <em>He's probably in the bathroom</em>
      </p>
      <p>The giggling noises coming from Ginny's old room were becoming louder. Hermione wondered who that could be.</p>
      <p>She got off the bed and walked out of the room. She saw that the light in the bathroom was turned off and to make things worse, she clearly heard a woman's voice coming from Ginny's old room saying Ron's name in a teasing way.</p>
      <p>She stayed frozen to that spot. She would have to be stupid not to realize what was happening. Ron was in that room with another woman.</p>
      <p>Slowly she walked to the door of Ginny's room. She wanted to see it with her own eyes. With a shaky hand, she turned the doorknob and opened the door. Her heart sank at the sight.</p>
      <p>Ron and Lavender were both fully naked, holding each other and looking as if they had just finished a sex marathon. Neither of them seemed to notice her presence.</p>
      <p>"Wasn't it a good idea to whisper in your ear, to meet me here in an hour and let me shag your brains out?" Hermione heard Lavender saying.</p>
      <p>"It was a great idea, baby! God, I think I would go mental if I continue sleeping with Hermione," Ron answered and Hermione put a hand to her mouth to keep her pain inaudible.</p>
      <p>"Don't get me wrong; she's a good friend, but she's not a real woman. She acts like a little girl. Can you believe that before you came to that restaurant she was trying to seduce me by playing footsie with me?" he added to Lavender as he was kissing her neck and Hermione felt tears rolling down her cheeks.</p>
      <p>"Footsie? How old is she? Sixteen?" Lavender mocked her.</p>
      <p>"Tell me about it. She's totally pathetic. She thinks I actually fancy her," Ron laughed.</p>
      <p>Lavender started laughing too really loud. "Seriously? Has she looked at herself in the mirror?"</p>
      <p>"I doubt it. She thinks that brains are more important than looks."</p>
      <p>"Well, if you don't have the looks, you have to work with what you have."</p>
      <p>"She's not like you, baby. You have it all! She's nothing compared to you," Ron said as he started kissing Lavender fiercely on the mouth.</p>
      <p>Hermione was sobbing now. Their moans were the worst sounds she had ever heard and she turned around and started running away from the room, the floor, the house; she wanted to be anywhere as long as she was far away from Ron.</p>
      <p>While she was running, she started hearing someone calling her name. The voice was getting louder and louder and it was a very familiar voice. It was Ron calling her name really loudly. She felt strong hands grabbing her by her arms, but she tried to free herself by fighting back. She still just kept hearing her name being called… Hermione, Hermione, Hermione…</p>
      <p>"Hermione! Hermione, wake up," Ron was shouting now, shaking her shoulders, while trying to keep her hands from attacking him in her sleep.</p>
      <p>Finally, Hermione opened her eyes. At the moment she saw Ron's eyes looking at her, she jumped away from him. All her pain and anger was still there, but when she looked at her surroundings, she realized that she was just having a nightmare.</p>
      <p><em>Yes, thank God. It was just a dream!</em> She thought letting out a huge sigh of relief.</p>
      <p>"Are you alright now?" Ron asked her with concern in his voice, and she hesitantly nodded, realizing once again that she had just embarrassed herself in front of Ron.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Great! So, I even manage to humiliate myself in front of him when I am sleeping! What the hell is wrong with me?</em>
      </p>
      <p>"Sorry, bad dream," she apologized as she sat again down on the bed, this time not in Ron's arms. She just lay down on her side of the bed turning her back to him. She was too embarrassed to face him.</p>
      <p>"That must have been a really nasty dream. You want to talk about it?"</p>
      <p>"It was just a nightmare, Ron," she snapped. "There is nothing to talk about, so go back to sleep. We have to be awake in a few hours," she added trying to end the conversation and let Ron sleep again. She had ruined his sleep last night, and she wasn't going to do that tonight too, although she had probably already done that.</p>
      <p>She felt Ron's hands caressing her hair, maybe in an effort to make her feel better after her nightmare and she closed her eyes to enjoy the feeling. She wanted to move her body closer to his. Now that their bodies weren't touching each other, she felt cold and empty.</p>
      <p>"Goodnight," Ron said softly giving her a soft kiss on her right shoulder, keeping his lips on her skin a little longer than necessary.</p>
      <p>That was enough to give Hermione goose bumps all over her body. That little, meaningless kiss was too much for her. She wanted to turn around and let all her inhibitions go to hell. Everyday her desire to be with him was getting stronger and stronger and she had no idea how long she would keep going with just touching herself thinking about Ron. She wanted the real thing, but she wouldn't do that before they had a talk about their feelings. She couldn't just attack him and pray that he would be into it.</p>
      <p>Sure, single guys never deny sex, but this wasn't just about sex. If Ron loved her too and they were going to do it, they would do it the right way. She wanted her first time to be making love and not just shagging.</p>
      <p>She wanted her first time with Ron, if and when it ever happened, to be perfect. She wanted little candles on the floor, roses on the bed, and soft music playing on the radio. She was never the romantic type of woman, but she wanted to share with Ron a silly and cheesy first time like the one in the super sappy movies she never liked to watch.</p>
      <p><em>But maybe there is no </em><em>such a thing as a </em><em>perfect first time,</em> she heard a voice in her head and she had to agree.</p>
      <p>Maybe the perfect time is the second time or the fifty-third time. Why wait until she could find perfect timing? Ron was here next to her. What more did she need? Maybe their first time wouldn't be as she had imagined, but the important thing would be that they were going to be together. Who cares about perfection?</p>
      <p>Of course, all that was in theory and with the assumption that Ron wanted all that. She was sure that Ron had feelings for her too before she saw Lavender, but now she couldn't be so sure.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Maybe Ron isn't in </em>
        <em>love with me. Maybe he is just attracted to me. Could that be all he wants...a physical relationship?</em>
      </p>
      <p>She would know the answer if she hadn't acted so childishly at the restaurant. She knew that. She planned that they should come home and she would confess her feelings to him. In that way, she would know exactly what Ron felt about her. Instead of following her plan, she let her weaker side win, got into an unreasonable fit of jealousy, and ruined everything.</p>
      <p><em>But was it so unreasonable? </em>She asked herself. Sure, she didn't see them doing anything, and she knew that Ron wouldn't toy with her feelings. He wasn't the type of guy who would kiss his best friend just for fun and she knew that he would rather hurt himself than hurt her. She knew that very well.</p>
      <p>
        <em>But he hid what Lavender told him from me. If it wasn't important like he claimed, why didn't he clear things up? He saw how much it bothered me. What could be so unimportant that he could tell me to let it go, but important enough to him to keep it a secret from me? If he just told me, then none of this mess would have happened.</em>
      </p>
      <p>The more she tried to put some of the blame on him though, the more she knew that she was wrong. Probably Lavender did made a move on him and maybe she whispered sweet nothings into his ears, but that doesn't mean that Ron did anything. Besides, if Ron wanted Lavender, then he would have been with Lavender starting from their date. It really didn't make sense for Ron to have a secret affair with Lavender like she dreamt.</p>
      <p><em>Ron must have had a good reason for not telling me what that dimbo told him and I didn't listen to him.</em><em>Oh my God, what if I hadn't reacted like that? What if I had listened to him and let the whole Lavender issue go? What if I had come home with him and confessed my feelings to him? What if he told me he feels the same? What would have happened then? </em>She suddenly wondered in a panic.</p>
      <p>She didn't want to admit it, but she had a really good idea what would have happened in that scenario. Instead of sleeping with her back to him, she would be sleeping naked in his arms, after the amazing sex she was sure they would have had. Now that she thought it about it more, she would leave aside all her thoughts of the perfect night, and she would simply be his and he would be hers. No roses, no candles, and no music were necessary. She only needed for it to be just the two of them, and she wouldn't be able to control herself.</p>
      <p><em>And instead of that, look what you've done! He told you it was nothing! Why the hell didn't you listen? Why do you keep ruining your chances with him?</em> She accused herself.</p>
      <p>Hearing light snoring, she rolled over and saw the sleeping figure of Ron. Her eyes couldn't tear away from his peaceful sleeping face for a long time. Tentatively she placed her palm on his cheek and caressed it gently.</p>
      <p>All she wanted was for him to love her. She had evidence now that he felt something for her, but what? Was it a crush? Was it sexual attraction? Was it a strong sense of affection? Was it… love?</p>
      <p>She hoped for that, she prayed for that, but was it really? She had no doubt about her own feelings. Ron wasn't just a guy she was in love with. He was the person she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with and have a dozen redhead babies with, but what about him? Did he feel the same way about her?</p>
      <p>She felt her heart getting warm remembering what he had said to her when she was sulking in Ginny's old room. She expected him to have another go at her, but instead he spoke those sweet words - those words that she had never heard before. It was like music to her ears, and it made her realize that Ron wasn't the cause of her tears.</p>
      <p>It was too late but she knew that if she wanted someone to blame, all she had to do was to look in a mirror. That's why she swallowed her pride and went to his room afterwards. She was going to apologize and maybe ask him if he wouldn't mind if they slept together like always. She had no idea why she had mentioned the thunder, which was true, but irrelevant, but Ron proved to her once again why she loved him so much.</p>
      <p>She felt Ron's cheek move along with her touch and she smiled fondly. "Goodnight, handsome," she whispered, as she planted a soft kiss on his forehead and carefully rested her head on his chest. The sound of his heartbeat was the best lullaby.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>It was a quarter after six and Hermione was at the kitchen table eating the breakfast Molly had prepared. Molly scolded her at first because Hermione didn't inform her that she would be going with Ron today. If she had known, Molly would have prepared more things, but honestly, the breakfast was enough to feed a whole family, not just two people.</p>
      <p>Ron wasn't there yet, because he wanted to take a shower first and Molly found the chance to talk to Hermione.</p>
      <p>"Hermione, there is something very important we need to discuss. I know this is not the best time but do you think we could talk this afternoon?" Molly requested in a pleading tone of voice.</p>
      <p>Hermione was a little confused, but she assumed that she just wanted to talk to her one more time about a possible engagement or marriage. She didn't have the heart to say no to her. "Of course, Molly."</p>
      <p>Molly kissed Hermione's forehead. "You're such a nice girl," she said softly making Hermione blush in both shame and pride, before Molly left to go back to her room to sleep some more.</p>
      <p>When Ron came for breakfast, he and Hermione didn't say a lot. Everything that happened the previous day and night were still on both of their minds and there was too much awkwardness and tension.</p>
      <p>The ride from Ottery St. Catchpole was also quiet. The only sound that was heard was the car's engine. Neither was making an effort to start a conversation, afraid that they might end up having another argument like last night or worse. They each knew that they should really have a talk about the good time they had before, but it was too early in the morning for a talk like that.</p>
      <p>Hermione wanted desperately to apologize for her behavior, but she didn't know how to do it without accepting her jealousy over Lavender. Especially after her dream last night, she wouldn't allow herself to think about Lavender anymore. She had to keep her mind focused on her meeting with Lupin&amp;Tonks, but the silence was killing her.</p>
      <p>Seeing that Ron was too focused on the road, she decided to start some small talk just to keep them busy until they reached their destination. There was actually something she wanted to ask him yesterday, but had forgotten to.</p>
      <p>"Ron, yesterday with McGonagall, you said something about a carnival. What is that exactly?"</p>
      <p>Ron gave her a quick look before turning his attention back to the road.</p>
      <p>"Ginny and the girls didn't tell you?" he asked her and she gave him a negative answer. "What do you girls do all day? Just drink and gossip?"</p>
      <p>Hermione rolled her eyes. "Are you going to tell me?"</p>
      <p>"It's an annual thing the town holds every New Year's Eve to raise money for charities and my family helps a lot, especially over the last years."</p>
      <p>"Like Trafalgar square?"</p>
      <p>"Don't expect a hoard of drunk people trying to kiss you, but it's kinda fun. There are some local bands that sing and we always provide the fireworks at midnight. The kids love that part."</p>
      <p>Hermione smiled thinking how much she loved to see the fireworks too when she was a child. "Come one tell me; what it's like? The Carnival, I mean."</p>
      <p>Ron gave her a confused look. "It's a typical carnival, Hermione. Haven't you ever been to a carnival before?"</p>
      <p>Hermione shook her head. "I've been to Disneyland, but I doubt it's the same."</p>
      <p>Ron chuckled. "You're right. It's definitely not Disneyland."</p>
      <p>Hermione smiled back and it was the first time she felt that there was no tension between them. "I think I'm going to like it even if it's not Disneyland."</p>
      <p>"You haven't missed much, trust me," he mumbled sighing.</p>
      <p>Hermione noticed that. "Why do you say that?"</p>
      <p>"Let's just say I have some bad memories."</p>
      <p>Ron's statement got Hermione curious. She wanted to know why Ron apparently didn't like the Carnival. It was one more new thing she would have to learn about him. "Care to share them with me?"</p>
      <p>Ron sighed again, but he answered. "When I was fourteen, I liked that girl, Olivia, from my class. I wanted to ask her to come with me to the Carnival, but before I had the chance to ask her, someone else had beaten me to it. The day of the Carnival, I wasn't in a great mood after that rejection. I was sitting on a bench with Harry having a contest over who could eat more burgers. I won after I ate twelve."</p>
      <p>"Twelve?" Hermione asked shocked, although not so much. She knew that Ron could eat a whole cow with no problem if he wanted. She often wondered where the hell he put all those calories.</p>
      <p>"Yeah, I wasn't really hungry."</p>
      <p>"Anyway, after Harry left to go home, I wandered for a bit and I found Olivia alone. She told me that Stewart, the guy she was there with, had left her to go hang out with his friends or something like that; I don't really remember his excuse. I quickly asked her if she wanted to spend the day with me instead. She agreed quite happily to my surprise, but I really wish she hadn't," he said with a grimace, making Hermione really curious about what happened.</p>
      <p>"The first hour was great. We laughed, we played some darts game, and we walked hand-in-hand; it was wonderful! Then she wanted us to go on a tilt-a-whirl type ride. You know what that is?" he asked her and she shook her head.</p>
      <p>"You sit in these big armchairs and then they spin around in different directions and at different speeds. This ride was called <em>The Chaos</em>, because you have no idea where it will go, how fast it will be, or when it's going to stop. It's also known for giving nausea to the riders."</p>
      <p>Hermione raised an eyebrow. She had a really good idea where this story was heading. "Don't tell me you got sick on Olivia," she said, and Ron looked at her with a guilty look.</p>
      <p>"It's not my fault! They should have put a bloody sign to warn people not to ride these things with a full stomach," he tried to justify himself, but Hermione couldn't control her laugh.</p>
      <p>"I'm glad you find it amusing, Hermione. Puked on anyone recently wearing just your knickers?" he teased her as revenge and Hermione stopped laughing and felt her cheeks going red immediately with the memory.</p>
      <p>"I tried to apologize to her. But, as you can imagine, she wanted nothing to do with me after that. She also took the opportunity to tell some guys from school, so they teased me for a long time."</p>
      <p>Hermione wasn't surprised about those guys' reactions, because she knew how immature someone could be at that age, but she was surprised at Olivia's reaction. Just because Ron puked on her, it didn't seem enough of a reason to dump him. It could have happened to anyone.</p>
      <p>
        <em>How dare that bitch leave Ron because he got sick?</em>
      </p>
      <p>"What happened to her?" she asked him curiously, still angry at her.</p>
      <p>Ron shrugged. "I think she went to study in the Australia but stayed there permanently and got married to a marine. I remember someone telling me that a few years ago."</p>
      <p>Hermione wondered for a moment how different Ron's life would be if he hadn't gotten sick from that ride... maybe Olivia would have become his girlfriend… maybe they would still be together.</p>
      <p>"Do you think if you hadn't puked on her, you'd be together now?"</p>
      <p>Ron snorted. "It was just a school crush, Hermione. I wasn't in love with her. She was just pretty and I thought that during the Carnival, I could get a snog or something."</p>
      <p>"Oh, I see. You only wanted to be with someone good-looking then, I suppose."</p>
      <p>"Hermione, I was fourteen! I had a crush on every girl I laid my eyes on. Well, except Millicent Bulstrode. God, that girl's nose was so off-center!"</p>
      <p>Ron's attempt to joke was unsuccessful. "Good to know that you were just like every typical teenage boy that judged girls based on their appearance."</p>
      <p>"I was a teenager, Hermione!" Ron protested. "I didn't care to get to know a girl well enough to see whether she was nice or not. All I cared about at that age was getting a snog and maybe grabbing some thigh or a boob."</p>
      <p>"Of course, because that would be a great achievement, right? You would go to Harry afterwards to brag about it? <em>Hey, Harry, guess what? I grabbed a boob! I'm the man!</em>" she said sarcastically, impersonating Ron's voice.</p>
      <p>"Hermione, you …argh!" Ron said frustrated. Sometimes, like right now, Hermione had the unique ability to drive him mental and he didn't know what to do about his nerves. He just took a deep breath and went back to driving, ignoring her for the rest of the ride.</p>
      <p>Sighing inwardly, Hermione knew she once again stepped over the line.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Did I really just have a go at him, because at fourteen he had hormones? Isn't that the most natural thing in the world? Didn't I have the same thoughts about Dave McLaren, at the same age? I wasn't into him for his brains, but because he was the hottest boy in school. God, I' m such a hypocrite.</em>
      </p>
      <p>She stared out her window for the rest of the ride praying to reach their destination soon before she could give Ron another reason to be mad at her.</p>
      <p>It was an hour later when Ron pulled the car over and stopped the engine. Hermione had to take a cab to go to her office, since Ron had to go in the opposite direction to get to the training centre.</p>
      <p>"Do you have money for a cab?" he asked her, as she was grabbing her purse getting ready to step out of the car.</p>
      <p>"Yes, don't worry," she answered with a reassuring smile.</p>
      <p>"I'll be by your office at around 2p.m. You think you'll be finished by then?"</p>
      <p>"I don't know. I hope so."</p>
      <p>Hermione made a move to open the door, but Ron grabbed her arm gently, forcing her to turn and look at him.</p>
      <p>"<em>Send me an invitation to your wedding</em>," he said sighing and Hermione looked at him confused. "It's what Lavender whispered in my ear last night," he admitted, almost red in the face.</p>
      <p>Hermione stayed frozen to her spot not knowing what to say. The realization that she ruined a perfect date for something like this made her feel sick to her stomach. She realized now how awkward it would have been for Ron to tell her that yesterday.</p>
      <p>"We - I can't keep doing this, Hermione," Ron said running a hand through his hair, sighing. "I can't keep pretending, I can't keep kissing you, and…," he didn't finish his sentence.</p>
      <p>He turned to look at her and their eyes locked. Hermione wanted to grab him and kiss him and tell him how stupid she was, but she was too numb to do anything.</p>
      <p>"We need to talk. Now is not the best time, but we need to talk," he told her and she nodded her head, not knowing what else to do.</p>
      <p>They kept staring at each other like nothing else mattered in the world. It was Ron who broke the eye contact. "I need to go or else I'm going to be late."</p>
      <p>Hermione smiled bashfully and nodded. She opened the door to leave, but before she did it, she turned around and planted a sweet kiss on Ron's cheek. She then smiled, opened the door of the car, and left, leaving Ron in the car touching the place on his cheek that Hermione's lips touched.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Hermione was at her office staring at Ron's photo that she always kept in her bottom drawer. She kept hearing Ron's words over and over. She knew he was right. They couldn't keep pretending. They were better than this. Their bond was stronger than this.</p>
      <p>She started imagining who was going to start the conversation. She wondered how you start something like this. When is the perfect time? What do you say? Do you say everything, or do you hide the things that may make you look too desperate?</p>
      <p>She sighed with all the questions that came to her mind, not ignoring that she had to prepare herself for the meeting with Lupin and his wife, Tonks. She had a serious problem focusing enough; every time her eyes fell on Ron's photo, her mind travelled to him. She couldn't help it, no matter how hard she tried.</p>
      <p>Reluctantly she put Ron's photo back in the drawer, in an effort to make herself concentrate on the task of impressing her – hopefully - new employers.</p>
      <p>"Here is the girl I was looking for," a male's voice startled her for a moment.</p>
      <p>Hermione saw Draco standing in the door and smiled at him. She walked to him and pulled him into a big hug. "Thank you so much, Draco."</p>
      <p>"You can thank me when you get the job," Draco said breaking off the hug, smiling at her.</p>
      <p>"There is no chance I'm not going to get the job, Draco."</p>
      <p>"That's the spirit, girl," said Draco patting her on the back before walking inside the office and sitting on a chair. Hermione went and sat at her desk chair as well.</p>
      <p>"You met them already. Do you have any tips? What kind of people are they?" she asked him curiously, trying to better prepare herself for this unofficial interview.</p>
      <p>"Don't worry. They are your kind of people."</p>
      <p>Hermione raised an eyebrow. "My kind? What's that suppose to mean?"</p>
      <p>Draco shrugged. "You know, idealist."</p>
      <p>"Why do I have the feeling that you're mocking me, right now?"</p>
      <p>"I'm not mocking you. I'm mocking your ideas. There is a difference. You think that people should live with liberty and equality and treat the animals like humans, but the truth is very far from that," Draco said giving her a meaningful glare. "You and your kind are just choosing to ignore that it's in the nature of human beings to discriminate, to use whatever it takes to survive, and to always look out for themselves. In the whole animal kingdom, humans are the most vicious, cruel, insidious and dangerous animals of all. Deny it all you want to, but that's the plain truth," Draco finished with a very haughty look on his face.</p>
      <p>Hermione studied him for a while and sighed. "You're wrong, Draco."</p>
      <p>Draco just gave her a sad smile before getting up from his chair. "Am I really?" he asked her, before turning to leave the office. "I'll come to get you in about an hour, alright? Until then, relax. Everything is going to be fine."</p>
      <p>"Everything is going to be fine," she repeated to herself. She had to believe that. There was no room for negative thoughts.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Ron couldn't focus a lot on training. He tried, but Hermione always got into his thoughts somehow. He was thinking about their date, before Lavender came. He was thinking about that kiss outside his old school or the way they flirted in the restaurant. He was also thinking about their fight, about what they talked about in the car, and about her kiss on his cheek.</p>
      <p>Hermione was actually the only thing he was thinking about. That's why he wasn't able to concentrate enough, which caused him to give a really poor performance in training. He was failing to save most of the goals, and as a result, he had to pick the ball from his net many times.</p>
      <p>Another shot from Spears and another goal. Snape whistled and made a gesture for Ron to come over to him.</p>
      <p><em>Oh, shit. I </em><em>don't need this right now,</em> he mumbled to himself as he walked slowly to his coach.</p>
      <p>"Sir?" he said when he reached Snape.</p>
      <p>Snape didn't bother to look at him. He kept staring at the field. A minute passed and he still didn't bother to focus on Ron.</p>
      <p>"Sir, do you want something from me?"</p>
      <p>"Williams, Spears, Finnigan, Nolan!" Snape shouted and the four players turned to look at him. "Shooting practice. No goalie," he shouted and all four of them took balls and started shooting at the empty goal while the rest of the team continued practicing tactics.</p>
      <p>It was the first time that Snape turned to look at Ron. "Nice weather, Weasley. Don't you agree?" he asked and Ron failed to notice it was a sarcastic comment.</p>
      <p>"It's a little chilly actually."</p>
      <p>"Do you want me to call the team and continue the practice indoors?" Snape asked him, surprising Ron who once again failed to notice the mocking tone in Snape's voice.</p>
      <p>"No, there is no need, sir."</p>
      <p>"Are you sure, Weasley? Inside will be warmer. I don't want you to get a cold or anything," Snape said putting a hand on Ron's shoulder.</p>
      <p>It was at that moment when Ron realized what was happening. Snape never showed concern for his players on a personal level. <em>Bugger! I'm screwed…</em></p>
      <p>"Yes, I'm sure, sir," he said lowering his head.</p>
      <p>"Do you see our attackers there, Weasley? Do you see how they scored easily now that there is no goalkeeper?" Snape asked and Ron answered with a nod. "Would it really make a difference if you were between the goalposts?"</p>
      <p>"Weasley, look at me when I'm talking to you," Snape gritted through his teeth.</p>
      <p>Ron did what Snape told him to do. "Do you miss your spot on the bench? Is that what it is, Weasley? Because I can send you there starting next game. Davies is more than eager to fill the position," Snape threatened him.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Are you bloody kidding me? One bad training day and he's ready to send me back to the bench?</em>
      </p>
      <p>Fear and panic rose inside Ron. He knew how demanding Snape was of his players and he should know better than to let his personal life get in the way of his job. He couldn't let Davies steal his place so easily.</p>
      <p>"No, sir. You don't need Davies. I'm your goalkeeper," he tried to reassure Snape with as much confidence as he could muster.</p>
      <p>"Then get in there and prove that to me. Every single minute of every single day, you must prove to me that you own the spot. I don't tolerate laziness. Is that understood, Weasley?"</p>
      <p>"Affirmative, sir," Ron said running immediately to take his place between the goalposts. This time he was fully concentrated on what he had to do and he let only a few goals in, earning a pleased nod from Coach Snape at the end of the practice.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Hermione was expecting to feel nervous in front of Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks, but they made her feel like she had known them for years. Draco and his boyfriend, Tom, were more engaged in a heated snogging session at another table leaving them alone to talk about the job offer and to get to know each other better.</p>
      <p>So far, they hadn't touched the subject of work, and Hermione was laughing after another crazy story that Tonks shared about Remus.</p>
      <p>"I swear to you, Hermione. Remus was so drunk that night that he ended up sleeping with a pack of wolves. I have no idea why they didn't eat him alive," Tonks admitted, causing Hermione to gape at Remus.</p>
      <p>"That's because they know I'm fighting for their rights. Animals have a sixth sense about these things," Remus said taking a sip of his beer. "Do you have a pet, Hermione?"</p>
      <p>Hermione's face fell. "I used to have a cat, Crookshanks, but he died before I went to college. I loved him very much and no other pet can replace him. He was my best friend," she answered sadly. She really missed Crookshanks even after so long. He was her only comfort in many times of loneliness.</p>
      <p>Remus gave her a sympathetic nod. "I know the feeling, Hermione. I had a dog, Padfoot, and I loved him like he was my best friend. He died years ago, but still it hurts me every day."</p>
      <p>Tonks took his hands in hers and squeezed gently and Remus smiled at her fondly. Hermione loved to see them together. They were married for almost 10 years, but they still acted like newlyweds. Hermione wondered if she could ever have that with Ron. At first, she wasn't convinced that couples could keep their love alive over time, but after seeing Ron's parents and now Remus and Tonks she felt like there was hope after all.</p>
      <p>"Hermione, I want to be honest with you. I like you. From what Draco told us, you are a very skillful lawyer and by talking to you today, I can see that you are a brilliant young woman too," Remus said, making Hermione blush from the compliment.</p>
      <p>"Thank you," she said with a shy smile.</p>
      <p>"Now, here is what I need you to think over, before we have a more proper job interview," he said taking another sip of his beer and Hermione listened very carefully.</p>
      <p>"Working with us is not going to be easy. We are not an insurance company as you can understand. We need real and active lawyers in our firm," he said and Hermione nodded in understanding.</p>
      <p>"We work very closely with PETA, but we have other cases too, in criminal law. I know because of your age you don't have experience with these kinds of cases, but I need to know that you'll be okay helping or even handling cases of murder or rape. A lot of lawyers don't have the stomach to do it and unfortunately we have a lot of these cases," Tonks added and it was the first time Hermione started thinking about how big a change it would be leaving an area she was accustomed to, in order to work in a completely different field.</p>
      <p>She knew almost everything about Criminal Law, but her knowledge was more on a theoretical level. She never had the chance to practice in that area. She wasn't afraid to, but she wasn't so sure that she would be as good at that as she was in her current job.</p>
      <p>"Also there is the issue of money. If I'm not mistaken, you earn about 50-60,000 pounds, am I right?" Remus asked.</p>
      <p>"₤52,000," Hermione answered afraid of what that meant.</p>
      <p>"We can give you ₤36,000/year. After 2 years, if you're still with us you get a raise of 15% and bonuses according to the cases you win. It's standard policy for all our employees. We're trying to do something good, but that rarely translates into big money," Remus said causing Hermione to think really hard.</p>
      <p>She was already earning half of Ron's wage, but now with his new contract, he would earn almost four times more than her. It wasn't about the money of course or the need to earn as much as Ron, but since she was a little girl she was raised to be independent.</p>
      <p>She would still be able to pay all her bills if she earned less, but she and Ron were always helping with charities. She would probably have to stop doing that or make Ron pay her share as well; that was something she wasn't comfortable with at all.</p>
      <p>"I don't want your answer right now, Hermione. I want you to think about it fully because i understand this is a life changing decision," Remus said after seeing Hermione's thoughtful expression.</p>
      <p>Hermione saw them getting up from their chairs, and going to say goodbye to Draco and Tom, before coming back to bid her goodbye, too.</p>
      <p>"It was nice meeting you, Hermione, but we have to go. My mother-in-law, is waiting on us for dinner. She already hates me, but she hates me more when we're late."</p>
      <p>"It was great to meet you too, Remus," Hermione returned the handshake with a smile. "You too, Nymphadora."</p>
      <p>"I hope to see you soon, Hermione. I'll wait for your call."</p>
      <p>Draco came to sit at the table again with Tom. "So, how did it go?"</p>
      <p>Hermione had no answer. She really liked them and they seemed to like her too, but now all she could think about was how much her life would change if she left her current job to go to work for Lupin&amp;Tonks. "I don't know, Draco. I really don't know."</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>"Coach gave you the prostate exam?" Seamus teased Ron when they were in the showers.</p>
      <p>Ron snorted. "That's a polite way to put it."</p>
      <p>Next to them, Neville laughed and then he asked Ron. "I heard you got a new contract offer. Is that true?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah, and the wankers gave me a deadline of tomorrow to decide. Can you believe that?"</p>
      <p>"You're joking, right?" Neville asked obviously surprised, but Ron shook his head. "Only two days to decide on a new contract? Can they do that?"</p>
      <p>"I don't know but they did."</p>
      <p>"At least the money is better, right, mate?" Seamus asked curiously.</p>
      <p>"I have no idea. I gave the contract to Hermione to look at and make a nice summary."</p>
      <p>"Aren't you spending your holidays at your parents' house? How did you get the contract to Hermione?" Neville asked.</p>
      <p>"She and her parents came to spend the holidays with us," said Ron and both Seamus and Neville shared a knowing glance.</p>
      <p>"Oh, I see," Neville said grinning at Ron. "Trying to impress your girlfriend and coaxing your in-laws at the same time, right? Smart move."</p>
      <p>"They are not my in-laws."</p>
      <p>"Huh, got ya! You didn't deny that Hermione is your girlfriend," Seamus said with a huge grin on his face.</p>
      <p>Ron was getting red in the face. "Hermione is not… well she kind of is… I mean she's not yet… Oh, sod off, tossers!"</p>
      <p>Neville and Seamus weren't willing to stop though. "You looovvvveeeee her," they both said in unison, making kissing noises.</p>
      <p>"Hey everybody, listen up!" Seamus shouted and everyone in the shower turned their attention to them. "We can officially erase Weasley's name from the top of the <em>Best candidate to come out of the</em><em> closet</em> list. He's got himself a girlfriend!"</p>
      <p>Cheers and clapping erupted in the room. Some of the players started whistling and others were patting Ron on the back and shoulder, congratulating him.</p>
      <p>"We are so proud of you, mate," Seamus teased him again hugging him tightly ignoring the fact that they were both naked in the shower.</p>
      <p>"Get off me, wanker!" Ron said pushing him away.</p>
      <p>Seamus patted him in the shoulder. "Easy there, mate. I'm just taking the mickey out on you. Take Neville for example. He didn't mind that he was on the top of that list for the record time of 88 weeks."</p>
      <p>Neville interrupted him. "Actually, I did mind, especially since my name stayed there even after I got married to Hannah."</p>
      <p>Seamus grimaced at Neville. "Come on, Nev. Be honest with yourself. Do you think because you put that ring on your finger, I failed to notice the way you've been checking me out in the same way you have done since the first day you came here?"</p>
      <p>"What are you talking about? I never looked at you or any other guy here in any weird way."</p>
      <p>"Okay, whatever you say, mate. I believe you," Seamus said teasing him and giving him a wink in the end.</p>
      <p>That made Neville even madder, but he remembered something and started laughing. "You know, Seamus, I would wipe that cocky smile off my face if I were you. Remember who was number 2 on that list behind Ron? Oh, yes. It's you, my dear queer," he said with a triumphant expression on his face.</p>
      <p>Seamus face fell. All his cockiness was gone and he felt his cheeks going red. "Hey guys, give a round of applause for the new number 1 on our list, Mr. Seamus Finnigan!" Neville announced and all their teammates started clapping and congratulating Seamus.</p>
      <p>"Everybody make sure you don't drop the soap when he's in the shower with you," Ron teased Seamus now, finding the chance for payback, and everybody laughed.</p>
      <p>"Laugh now, but I'm warning you now. Keep your sisters and mothers away from me. I won't be responsible for what's going to happen when I turn on the charm with them," Seamus warned everyone as he left the shower room angrily.</p>
      <p>Ron and Neville gave each other a high-five and laughed. They both knew that a few beers with Seamus would be enough for him to forgive them for the teasing, but for now, they would enjoy seeing him get a dose of his own medicine.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Hermione spent the next hour in her office, trying to decide what she should do. It was one of the biggest decisions that she would ever have to make in her life. Working for Lupin&amp;Tonks would be like a dream come true, but was it really ready to change her whole career?</p>
      <p>Also, she couldn't keep Ron out of her thoughts too. She remembered what he had told her before she stepped out of his car. They needed to talk and she also needed to apologize for her behavior last night. The thought that she had caused the whole thing with her irrational jealousy over Lavender hit her again, and she felt horrible.</p>
      <p>She was so unfair to Ron and she knew that Ron didn't deserve that. Especially considering that he had a game in a couple of days and he had a major decision to make with his new contract. He had so many things on his mind, but still on all days at the Burrow, he treated her like she was his real girlfriend.</p>
      <p>He was so sweet in how he took care of her when she got drunk without making a big deal, and he had found the time to show her his town despite how tired he was.</p>
      <p>She was so preoccupied at that moment with all of these thoughts that she was startled when she heard someone knock on the door.</p>
      <p>"Come in," she shouted.</p>
      <p>Ron stepped in and Hermione's face lit up. "Hey, are you done?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah, just give me a minute to grab my purse and my coat," she said nervously getting up from her seat.</p>
      <p>The door opened again abruptly and Draco stepped in. "Hey, Hermione, you forgot your mobile in the cafeteria," he said giving her the phone.</p>
      <p>"Oh, my God, where was my mind? Thank you so much, Draco," Hermione exclaimed with relief.</p>
      <p>Draco smiled back and he looked at Ron, giving him a once-over. His smile grew bigger now. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you had company. Draco Malfoy," he said with a seductive smile, stretching his hand for a handshake.</p>
      <p>Ron felt anger rising inside him. <em>So, this is the </em><em>tosser that Hermione was flirting with? He looks like an albino. What the hell does she see in him anyway?</em></p>
      <p>He returned the handshake squeezing a lot harder than he should. "Ron Weasley," he introduced himself.</p>
      <p>He broke off the handshake and turned to Hermione. "Shall we?"</p>
      <p>"Actually, Hermione, if you have a minute before you leave," Draco requested.</p>
      <p>Hermione turned to Ron. "Wait for me in the car, Ron. I'll be down in a minute, alright?" she asked him smiling and Ron hesitantly nodded. He didn't like Hermione spending more time than necessary with Draco.</p>
      <p>"Don't be late," he said and before leaving he threw Draco a murderous look. Draco on the other hand was looking at him in adoration.</p>
      <p>"What is it, Draco?"</p>
      <p>"Hermione, I need you to set me up with your friend."</p>
      <p>"What?"</p>
      <p>"Hermione, you owe me," Draco said giving her a meaningful glare. "Come on, he's hot and the way he shook my hand was amazing. I felt an incredible surge through my whole body, like being electrocuted in a delicious way. I bet he's into bondage sex. I can imagine him, tying me to the bed, spanking me hard and –,"</p>
      <p>"He's my boyfriend," Hermione said angrily, trying to stop his rambling.</p>
      <p>Draco didn't seem to mind. He just shrugged. "Well, you can keep him. I'm not going to steal him from you. All I want is a night of him. What do you say?"</p>
      <p>"Don't you have a boyfriend? I'm not sure Tom would like to hear what you just told me," Hermione responded, trying to knock some sense into him.</p>
      <p>"Right now, I want your boyfriend," Draco answered with no shame.</p>
      <p>Hermione rolled her eyes and sighing she grabbed her purse. "Draco, I'm going to say this only once. Ron is mine! So, keep your hands off my man, bitch!"</p>
      <p>"So, does that means no?" she heard him shouting behind her, but she kept walking.</p>
      <p>She had more important things than to deal with Draco and his fantasies. She had to make a decision about her career and more importantly, Ron was waiting in the car.</p>
      <p>The ride back was as quiet as the morning one. Ron made a couple attempts at small talk, but Hermione wasn't very talkative. She was trying to organize her thoughts, find the right words, and prepare to confess her feelings to him finally.</p>
      <p>She didn't want to wait anymore. She already lost too much time and she didn't want to lose more. Whatever the outcome might be, she needed to tell Ron how much she loves him.</p>
      <p>When they reached the Burrow and entered the house, Ron made a move to walk into the kitchen and say hello to his mother, but Hermione didn't let him.</p>
      <p>"Ron, there is no time for that," she said in a determined tone, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him up the stairs and into their room.</p>
      <p>Ron was surprised, but he was too tired from all the driving to protest. When they entered the room, Hermione released him and sat on the bed, breathing deeply.</p>
      <p>"What is it, Hermione? You don't feel good?"</p>
      <p>Hermione shook her head without looking at him. She took a deep breath and blocked all the negative thoughts that were trying to penetrate her mind. She had to tell him and she was ready.</p>
      <p>She turned and looked him straight in the eyes. "I'm in love with you," she confessed without thinking about it twice. "I'm in love with you, Ron!"</p>
      <p>Ron didn't move a muscle. He had dreamed about this moment for so long, and now that it was true, he had no idea how to react, so he just stood there frozen like a statue, not even blinking his eyes.</p>
      <p>Hermione spoke again, never removing her eyes from his. "I don't know when it started. Maybe it started a few weeks ago when my mother visited us or maybe it happened when you called me that night two years ago from Cardiff. Maybe deep down, I was always in love with you. I don't know. It's all so confusing," she said truthfully.</p>
      <p>Somewhere deep inside, Ron wanted to laugh with the irony. It was as if Hermione had stolen his thoughts and said exactly what he had wanted to tell her.</p>
      <p>"You must understand that I'm not good at this, Ron. It's the first time I've been in love and before you say anything, I was never in love with Viktor," Hermione said. For the first time, Ron felt a part of his body functioning as his lip moved slightly as if a smile was trying to escape.</p>
      <p>"I've read a lot of books in my life, Ron, but none of that ever prepared me for what I feel for you and how to handle it. I can't find the right answers there, so I don't know how to act, and that's why I keep doing all the wrong things. I've tried to seduce you and I ended up humiliating myself. I kiss you and feel so complete and then I lie to you by saying that I didn't feel anything. Then, after the best date of my life last night, I threw it all away, because I got jealous – yeah, there you go I said it… I was jealous. Then I've even tried to make you jealous using my gay colleague."</p>
      <p>Ron saw Hermione lowering her gaze as if she was embarrassed by what she had just told him. Ron wondered why. If anything all those 'embarrassing' moments were the biggest proof that she cared enough for him to let herself endure all of them.</p>
      <p>Her eyes found his again. "Remember when I told you a few weeks ago that I'm in love with a guy? Well, now you know who it is. It's you."</p>
      <p>She stood up from the bed and walked to him. She tentatively reached a hand to caress his cheek like she did the night before when he was sleeping. "It always been you," she added softly.</p>
      <p>Ron closed his eyes to enjoy the feeling of her soft skin on his unshaven cheek. Hermione brought her face inches away from his and Ron felt her hair tickling his nose as he inhaled the sweet aroma of roses that was due to her shampoo.</p>
      <p>Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and he bent his face down, just enough so she could replace the hand that was caressing his cheek with her own cheek.</p>
      <p>"So, here I am, having no idea what am I supposed to do. The only thing I know is that I can't pretend anymore. I love you. I love you, Ron. I love you more than anything and now you know it," she whispered with a shaky voice and then they were so close that they both were practically breathing into each other mouths.</p>
      <p>It was the first time that Ron managed to take control of his body and his hands went to her waist as they pulled her closer to his body. He felt her whole body trembling. He opened his eyes and leaned his head slightly back, so he was able to see that Hermione had tears in her eyes.</p>
      <p>He used his thumbs to wipe away the tears gently from Hermione's beautiful brown eyes making her shiver again from his touch. She hesitantly opened her eyes too and looked at him like she was waiting for something…an answer.</p>
      <p>"Do you love me, Ron? Even just an ounce of how much I love you? Because that would be enough for me," she asked lowering her gaze immediately after she said that. She was too afraid to see the answer in his eyes.</p>
      <p>Ron removed his right hand from Hermione's waist and he used it to lift her chin gently and make her look him in the eyes. When he did it, their eyes locked and Ron gave her a sweet smile.</p>
      <p>Hermione was ready to say something, but Ron took her breath away as he leaned down and planted a sweet kiss on her lips. Hermione responded immediately as she felt herself getting lost in the taste of his lips.</p>
      <p>Their lips broke apart, but Hermione kept her eyes closed as if she was trying to savor the feeling for a few more moments before she had to come back to reality. When she finally opened them, she saw Ron's deep blue eyes looking at her with a mischievous smile on his face.</p>
      <p>"When we go back to our flat, I think it would be better if we move into your room. It's cleaner. And I'll need to sleep on the left side of the bed," he simply said and Hermione's face brightened at his words.</p>
      <p>She couldn't control herself. She practically jumped on Ron causing both of them to fall on the bed. She was on top of him as she crashed her lips into his. This kiss wasn't sweet. This kiss was a hungry kiss. It was a kiss full of passion and lust.</p>
      <p>Ron's maneuvered his tongue expertly around Hermione's and trapped her lips inside his. It was like a great tongue battle was taking place inside their mouths. They spilled and clashed with each other. The feeling was wonderful. The intensity of their intimacy was getting more and more heated and they both knew they wouldn't be able to control it, not that either of them wanted to.</p>
      <p>They continue kissing, when Hermione felt Ron's hands go behind her and grab her bum. She moaned inside his mouth as she felt her whole body become alive for the first time in probably her whole life. She felt the need to feel Ron inside her and she knew he felt the same. Being on top of him with her body pressed completely against his, she had a really good feeling of how <em>excited</em> Ron was at that moment. She wasn't far behind though. Her knickers were soaking wet.</p>
      <p>Not breaking the kiss, she started instinctively rubbing her body up and down on Ron's. They both moaned now from the pleasure as Ron squeezed her bum harder.</p>
      <p>Hermione felt that something was missing though and she knew exactly what it was. She broke off the kiss and stopped moving which caused Ron to groan in displeasure. They looked each other in the eyes. They were both red in the face and sweaty, and were breathing heavily.</p>
      <p>"Say it to me, Ron. I need to hear it," she softly pleaded with him.</p>
      <p>Ron cupped her face tenderly and smiled. "I love you, Hermione Granger," he whispered the truest words he'd ever said in his life, as he pulled Hermione down for a sweet kiss.</p>
      <p>Hermione couldn't stop the tears from falling down her cheeks. Those weren't the sad tears she was used to shedding. Those were happy tears because she had just experienced the most incredible moment of her life. "I love you too, Ronald Weasley" she said almost breathlessly, as her lips found his again.</p>
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<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Bad timing</h2></a>
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      <p>To say that Ron and Hermione were toying with the idea of murdering Fred and George at this very moment would be an understatement. Just when things seemed great and they had admitted their feelings and were getting ready to shag each other's brains to eternity after weeks or years of longing, those two wankers, as Ron called them (and for the first time Hermione didn't scold him for his language) ruined their moment by deciding to pay them a visit in their room, just to see how they were hanging!</p>
      <p>Being the twins, they didn't knock first of course, so they caught them in a very <em>active</em> position. Ron was naked from the waist up and he was on top of Hermione. He had his right hand under Hermione's shirt copping a feel of her bra-covered breast, and Hermione had one hand on his back and the other one a little lower grabbing his buttocks, while they kept kissing and moaning.</p>
      <p>Hermione couldn't explain the feeling. She had sexual experiences in the past, but what Ron was doing to her body and mind was something she had never felt before. She had no control. Ron owned every inch of her body at that moment. He could do anything to her and she would happily agree. She felt like the whole purpose of her existence was that moment…that moment where Ron would make her his and he would show her the difference between having sex and making love.</p>
      <p>And just like that, God decided to pull a prank on them, sending two of his best servants for this particular job. With amusement drawn on their faces, they stood by the door giving her and Ron winks, thumbs up and wolf whistles.</p>
      <p>"I won't say it again, tossers! Get the hell out of my room!"</p>
      <p>"Tsk, tsk, tsk, little brother! What kind of language is that?" George said faking a shocked expression on his face.</p>
      <p>"Wait til mum hears that, Ronniekins," Fred added.</p>
      <p>"Go on and tell her. Just get out!"</p>
      <p>Fred and George shared a look and started chuckling. "Easy there, little brother, or from what I'm seeing not so little."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, relax a bit. Looks like you're going to shoot someone with that gun between your legs," George said pointing with his eyes to Ron's erection.</p>
      <p>Hermione's eyes went immediately to Ron's erect crotch. Blushing hard, she looked away.</p>
      <p><em>Oh, please, like you weren't feeling it pressed hard against you when he was on top of you, hypocrite</em>, Hermione said to herself.</p>
      <p>She kept herself quiet for a few moments waiting for the twins to leave, but after seeing how angry Ron was, and how the twins did not intend to stop their provoking of Ron or of leaving the room, she decided to take matters into her own hands.</p>
      <p>"Fred, George, leave now or else I'm going to have a nice talk with your mother. You know very well how she's going to react once I'll tell her that you two entered our room without knocking while I was naked," she said giving them a determined look.</p>
      <p>"What are you talking about? You're fully clothed," Fred commented confused and George nodded in agreement.</p>
      <p>"That's not going to be my version of the story," Hermione said with a devilish smirk on her face. "Who do you think your mum is going to believe? Me or you two?"</p>
      <p>The twins were shocked at this. They would never have expected such sneaky behaviour from proper Hermione Granger, but the look on her face showed them that they should probably do what she asked. They looked at each other for a moment, and they started whispering to each other before turning back to Hermione a minute later.</p>
      <p>"Well, look at the time," George said looking at the watch on his wrist.</p>
      <p>"Yeah, time to go," Fred agreed and Hermione smiled victoriously.</p>
      <p><em>That will teach them</em>, she thought with great satisfaction.</p>
      <p>"We're going to let you two love birds continue where you left off and enjoy your little noon shag. Because big brothers don't cockblock," Fred stated looking at Ron who gave him a murderous look back.</p>
      <p>"Exactly that, but please do all of us a favour. Keep your moaning down. There are little kids in this house and the last thing I want my son to hear is how good our little brother can satisfy his lady."</p>
      <p><em>Or not since he can't seem to get a chance to</em>, Hermione thought again sighing. <em>These two are never going to change.</em></p>
      <p>"Get out and close the door behind you… now!" Ron gritted through his teeth in clear anger.</p>
      <p>Both Fred and George held their hands up to show that they were leaving and Ron should stop being hostile towards them.</p>
      <p>The moment the door closed behind the twins, Ron let out a deep sigh as he sat down on the bed next to her.</p>
      <p>"I'm sorry about this, but don't worry. Saturday, when we go to the factory, I'll lock them inside the fireworks warehouse and throw a match inside, so they won't bother us again, alright?" he joked causing Hermione to smile at his words.</p>
      <p>"I'll bring my shotgun just in case," Hermione joked back.</p>
      <p>They laughed for a while, but then an unwelcome tension joined them. Neither of them knew what there was supposed to do now. Should they continue where they left off before they were interrupted or was the moment gone and they should put things off for a better time.</p>
      <p>"Hmmm… so…" Ron began to say something, but he didn't know what.</p>
      <p>Hermione smiled at him and opened her mouth to say something, but since she didn't know what to say, no words escaped her lips either.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Surely, I can't just tell him, "the twats are gone - now shag me!"</em>
      </p>
      <p>She thought for a moment about what Ron would say if he knew that she swore inside her head.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Maybe I shouldn't say anything. I could just grab him, pull him on top of me, then take his hand and put it on my breast where it was before the twins came in. There is no chance he wouldn't get the message of what I want us to do right now.</em>
      </p>
      <p>She was ready to do it, but Ron beat her. In a matter of seconds, Hermione found herself once again under Ron's warm body, feeling the taste of his lips against hers. She responded just as urgently as she pushed her tongue into his mouth.</p>
      <p>This time Ron didn't ask permission to put his hand under her shirt like he did the first time and Hermione was more than glad because she didn't want to wait a single second before she could feel his touch on her body.</p>
      <p>She moaned softly as she ran her nails gently along Ron's naked back, never pulling her mouth off his as she was unable to get enough of his taste. The sensation was like nothing she had ever felt before and the ache that had begun to build in her center was almost unbearable.</p>
      <p>She felt Ron struggling a little with his hand under her shirt. "Take it off, Ron," she practically begged him.</p>
      <p>Ron didn't waste any time and pulled her shirt off leaving her with just a black lace bra on. It wasn't the first time that Ron had seen her in just her bra, but he had definitely never seen her this way underneath him.</p>
      <p>It felt so good to feel his hand on her breasts, but her hard nipples were screaming now that it was time to set them free so they can enjoy not only Ron's touch, but his warm tongue as well that she was sure Ron would use. It was this thought that sent shivers all over her body as she moaned in excitement.</p>
      <p>She moved her body a little so she could stand in the bed. Ron looked at her puzzled until she moved her hands behind her back to unhook her bra. She stopped for a few seconds though.</p>
      <p>Despite her boldness, Hermione knew it was the moment of truth for her. She was never confident in showing her naked body. She knew that her small breasts were never something that could attract males or that would make a guy gape at the sight, and now Ron was going to see them for the first time. His reaction was one of her biggest worries.</p>
      <p>
        <em>What if Ron doesn't like them? What if he realises that I'm not that attractive or that I don't have curves like Lavender? What if I disappoint him?</em>
      </p>
      <p>The fear from all these questions was huge, but when their eyes met and Ron smiled at her, with that one special smile that was always for her and only her, all those fears vanished. She knew that she wasn't the most beautiful girl in the world, but Ron stood in front of her with eyes full of love and lust. She realised that she shouldn't be afraid, because Ron loved her and desired her exactly as she was.</p>
      <p>She removed the bra and threw it on the floor waiting for Ron's response to the sight of her naked breasts. Ron was staring at them for a long time with an intense look on his face and she had no idea if that was a good sign or not.</p>
      <p>"You are so fucking beautiful, Hermione," Ron confessed looking at her eyes now and Hermione saw the honesty in his eyes as she sighed in relief inwardly.</p>
      <p>She wasn't going to scold him about his language. How could she anyway when he said it that way?</p>
      <p>"Are you sure you're not just saying that because you're going to get laid?" she teased him with a newfound confidence.</p>
      <p>"It helps; I'm not gonna lie," Ron said earning a smack on the head from Hermione. "Hey, I'm just kidding!"</p>
      <p>"You better!"</p>
      <p>"Now, where were we?" Ron asked before his lips found hers again.</p>
      <p>"If I remember right… you were telling me how beautiful I am… and how you can't live without me… and how much you love me," Hermione was teasing him between kisses.</p>
      <p>"Oh, I said all that? Well, don't mind me. I say a lot of nonsense when I'm trying to get into a girl's knickers," Ron joked earning another smack in the head from Hermione. "Again, I'm just kidding!"</p>
      <p>"Well, maybe it's time to stop the jokes and suck my tits!" Hermione commanded and Ron gaped at her.</p>
      <p>A huge grin formed slowly on his face, while Hermione went scarlet in embarrassment. She had no idea where those words came from, but judging from Ron's reaction, he probably enjoyed her dirty slip.</p>
      <p>"As you wish, beautiful," he said and his mouth started to travel down to her neck, then her collarbone, and slowly reached her breasts. He started kissing and sucking her left nipple, while he lightly cupped her right breast, gently rolling her nipple in between his nimble fingers.</p>
      <p>Hermione's loud moans were a clear sign that she was enjoying what Ron was doing to her. Soon Ron started sucking with more intensity and squeezing a little harder and Hermione wrapped her legs around his waist. She still had her jeans on, but she had no trouble feeling Ron in all his glory through his trousers. When Ron bit one of her nipples gently, she was sure she was going to come right there and then.</p>
      <p>But apparently luck wasn't on their side as they both realised when another knock on the door was heard.</p>
      <p>"Are you fucking kidding me?" Ron snapped, staring angrily at the door, looking as if he was ready to murder whoever interrupted them.</p>
      <p>"Hermione, can I come in? I need to show you something," Ginny shouted from outside of the door.</p>
      <p><em>Ginny, I'm going to kill you!</em> Hermione thought in frustration. The same thought seemed to be crossing Ron's mind too.</p>
      <p>"Sister or not, I'm going to kill her!" Ron whispered to Hermione and she giggled, putting a hand over her mouth to keep quiet.</p>
      <p>"Don't come in here! Hermione is in the bathroom at the moment and I'm in the buff," Ron lied, thinking it was a good excuse to keep Ginny away from the room.</p>
      <p>"Okay, eww. Please put some clothes on and tell Hermione I want her to come to my room next door when she's out, alright? I'll wait for her."</p>
      <p>"Don't worry, Ginny. Hermione is going to <em>come</em> really soon," Ron said grinning at Hermione who went scarlet at his comment and felt more aroused that ever.</p>
      <p>Ron attacked her body once again, kissing her neck and Hermione couldn't help but moan loudly when he found her sensitive spot just below her collar. "Ron… Ginny said… come…," she unsuccessfully tried to compose a sentence.</p>
      <p>"I didn't hear anything," Ron kept her from talking by kissing her again.</p>
      <p>The sensation was wonderful, but Hermione knew she had to see what Ginny wanted. "Ron, let me just see what she wants and then I'll be right back alright?"</p>
      <p>"Don't worry, Hermione. Ginny can wait; she's a tough girl," he said, as he started trailing kisses on her belly and around her navel.</p>
      <p>Despite the pleasure, Hermione had to stop Ron. "Well, I don't feel very comfortable thinking that your sister is in earshot."</p>
      <p>That seemed to work, because Ron stopped with a groan. The thought that his own sister could hear them or that she was in the next room wasn't really apparent to him and he realised at that moment how weird the situation was.</p>
      <p>"Whatever she wants, make sure it's fast," he said as he rolled over the bed, making room for Hermione to get up and get dressed.</p>
      <p>"I promise I won't be late," she said kissing him one last time before hurrying to Ginny's room.</p>
      <p>She walked inside Ginny's room and she saw her lying down on her bed and the dress that she was supposed to wear tonight in the nightclub was hanging in the open closet.</p>
      <p>"Hey, Ginny. I'm here," she made her presence known to the ginger girl and Ginny turned to face her with a smile.</p>
      <p>"Hermione, I brought your dress and shoes for tonight, but I didn't want to let Ron see them. I want you to blow his mind the minute he sees you wearing this," Ginny said enthusiastically as she got out of the bed and walked over to Hermione to give her a quick hug. "After seeing you in this, he's going to be yours, I'm telling you."</p>
      <p>Hermione bit her lip at this, to hide the grin on her face and Ginny noticed that.</p>
      <p>"What's that smile on your face?"</p>
      <p>Hermione couldn't hold it inside her anymore. She wanted to shout to the world that she and Ron were together, and she owed it to Ginny for her to be the first one to learn the news.</p>
      <p>"I told Ron everything, Ginny. I told him that I'm in love with him and he said he feels the same way. We are together now!"</p>
      <p>Both girls screamed and hugged each other, in pure joy.</p>
      <p>"I'm so happy for you, Hermione. For both of you," Ginny said with a mix of excitement and happiness. "See, I told you to not be afraid and that my prat of a brother loves you too, now didn't I?"</p>
      <p>Hermione chuckled and hugged her once again. Breaking the hug, Ginny pulled her down on the bed and she sat next to her.</p>
      <p>"Okay, I need you to tell me everything. How it happened, when it happened…everything. Just skip the parts where there was touching and tongues. This is my brother we are talking about."</p>
      <p>Despite her desire to share everything with Ginny, Hermione knew it wasn't the right time. There was a half-naked Ron in their room and right now that was all she could think about.</p>
      <p>"Ginny, I'd love to, but now is not a very good time. Actually this is the worst possible time to have this talk, because right now Ron is waiting for me to go back to where we stopped before you interrupted us," she said awkwardly, blushing hard.</p>
      <p>"Blimey, Hermione, I'm so sorry!" Ginny cried in apology.</p>
      <p>"It's okay, Ginny. You didn't know."</p>
      <p>"What are you still doing here? Go to him, girl. And remember <em>always be safe,</em>" Ginny teased with a wink.</p>
      <p>"Ginny!" she cried, but without hiding the grin on her face.</p>
      <p>Walking back to their room, she stood outside the door for a moment. It was the second time that someone interrupted them and slowly their first time was beginning to seem more like torture. The idea of telling Ron to postpone their first time for a better time with less people in the house or to wait until they were going back to their flat was in her head, but she wasn't sure how Ron would react.</p>
      <p>Not that she was happy with that idea, nor was she so sure she could wait until then; actually she was sure she couldn't, but she felt like it was the right thing to do.</p>
      <p>She prepared to fight her urges and ignore the ache between her legs. She had to be strong. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.</p>
      <p>Once she opened the door to their bedroom, Ron grabbed her and pulled her inside closing the door behind him, as they both fell into a passionate embrace, savoring each other's lips. All the thoughts of bad timing and waiting that were in her head a few seconds earlier were long gone. Her mind just wasn't as strong as her body. And her body needed Ron. Instinctively she wrapped her legs around his waist as Ron carried her to the bed.</p>
      <p>For the first time, it was Hermione on top of Ron, straddling him. She buried her head in the crook of his neck and started kissing her way down to his naked torso, as Ron was grabbing her buttocks. Being on top of him, she felt even better as their hips were rubbing together in sync.</p>
      <p>She couldn't help the soft moans that were coming out of her mouth. Whatever Ron was hiding under those trousers, she wanted it. She wanted to feel it, to touch it, to kiss it, to lick it, and to suck it, but more than anything she wanted it inside her.</p>
      <p>She started lowering her head down to Ron's trousers trying to pull them off. She looked at Ron for a moment who was staring at her with an expression of shock, but also full of excitement. She pulled Ron's trousers down leaving only his boxers on.</p>
      <p>She was ready to pull them down too, when for the third time in a few minutes someone knocked on the door.</p>
      <p>"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Ron cried! "Whoever it is, go away or else I'm gonna bloody kill you!" he screamed staring angrily at the door.</p>
      <p>"Ronald Weasley!" Molly's voice was heard and Ron's eyes widened. "Open the door right now!"</p>
      <p><em>God, everyone in the Weasley family has the worst timing! It's like they are doing it on purpose, </em>Hermione thought in frustration.</p>
      <p>"Bugger, bugger, bugger!" Ron cursed under his breath as he got out of the bed pulling his trousers on and reached for his shirt to put on.</p>
      <p>"Just a minute, mum," he shouted. He gave Hermione an apologetic smile, telling her in that way that he was sorry for the constant interruptions and she gave him a smile that clearly said that she understood it wasn't his fault.</p>
      <p>Hermione dressed quickly too and looked in the mirror trying to not look so flustered. When she saw that she looked okay, she walked to the door to open it, but Ron grabbed her hand to stop her.</p>
      <p>"Wait a minute," he said awkwardly looking at the floor.</p>
      <p>She looked at him confused, until she noticed that he was mumbling, "Aunt Muriel in a bathing suit" under his breath. She chuckled at his effort to "relax" himself and looked away trying not to make him feel uncomfortable. She was secretly thrilled that she was the reason for his situation, and she grinned at the thought.</p>
      <p>"Okay, you can open the door now," he said after a minute and Hermione gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before going to open the door.</p>
      <p>Taking a deep breath, Ron braced himself for the wrath of Molly Weasley. Hermione opened the door hesitantly and Molly practically stormed inside the room and toward him.</p>
      <p>"I'm sorry, mum. I thought it…," he started apologizing immediately, but Molly, of course, had no intention of letting him do it.</p>
      <p>"I don't want to hear your excuse. You know the rules in this house very well. You're going to wash the dishes after dinner, understood?"</p>
      <p>"Yes, mum."</p>
      <p>"Now go down to give your car keys to your dad. He needs to go to town and his car is having some issues lately."</p>
      <p>"The car is having some issues lately? Mum, that car is 30-years old. He needs to throw it in the garbage where it belongs and buy a real one!" Ron exclaimed, thinking that his father was so stubborn to drive that old Ford Anglia, while refusing to buy a new one.</p>
      <p>"Go help your father, Ron," Molly said with a stern look, showing Ron that it was not the time for wise remarks. "And don't come back here for a while. I need to talk with Hermione about something that involves her parents."</p>
      <p>Ron and Hermione shared a look of confusion, but reluctantly Ron walked away from the room, grabbing his car keys from his jacket.</p>
      <p>The door closed and Molly turned to look at Hermione smiling. Then she looked around the room and grimaced. "Hermione dear, are you sure you're fine staying in this room? We have so many empty rooms with much better furniture and more comfortable beds. I'm surprised how you two can sleep in such a tight bed."</p>
      <p>Hermione went scarlet thinking of what she and Ron were doing a few minutes ago. "Don't worry, Molly. We make it work."</p>
      <p>Molly walked to Ron's trophy collection, grabbed one of his trophies and sighed in pride and something else that Hermione couldn't place.</p>
      <p>"There are so many good memories from this room. Tomorrow, I'm going to show you Ron's photo album. You can't escape me showing you that," Molly joked and Hermione smiled.</p>
      <p>"Oh, I can't wait!" she said enthusiastically. "Please tell me you have naked baby pictures of him. I need something to blackmail him whenever it's necessary."</p>
      <p>"No worries; we have plenty of them," Molly reassured her with a smile, before taking a more tender expression on her face.</p>
      <p>"Between you and me, Ron was my favourite baby. He was so cute with his baby blue eyes and his laugh was like the sweetest music to my ears. You know, he walked and talked faster than any of his brothers, like he was trying to prove a point," Molly said and for the first time, and Hermione noticed sadness in Molly's eyes.</p>
      <p>"Can we talk now, Hermione? It's really important and it's not about your parents. I just said that to Ron," Molly asked her and Hermione nodded although she was still confused as to why Molly needed to lie to Ron.</p>
      <p>"Of course, Molly, have a seat," Hermione said motioning for her to sit on the bed next to her.</p>
      <p>"Let me take it from the beginning. I promise it won't take long."</p>
      <p>"I don't know how much Ron has told you about us, but Arthur and I married very young. We had to work really hard all our lives and we made so many sacrifices, but we managed to make a good life. We raise our children with dignity and we taught them to have the right values. That's what I want to believe anyways."</p>
      <p>"I know that, Molly, and you and Arthur should be proud of yourselves. You have a wonderful family," Hermione said and she truly believed that.</p>
      <p>"I am proud, Hermione. You have no idea how much."</p>
      <p>"Back in my time, there weren't a lot of options for teenage married girls with a baby other than being a housewife. I told myself that I would wait for Bill to grow up a little and then I would find a job to help Arthur who was working overtime to provide us the necessities," she said with a guilty voice and Hermione thought that she probably blamed herself for Arthur working so hard, while she was at home.</p>
      <p>Although that seemed absurd to Hermione, because raising a baby was probably a lot more difficult than any office job that Arthur was doing.</p>
      <p>"But shortly after Bill, I got pregnant again with Charlie and then again with Percy and you know the rest," she said sighing.</p>
      <p>"I don't regret my decision to marry Arthur or to have a family with him, but sometimes I think that we made our lives harder than we should have. We shouldn't have had such a big family with one wage. We should have used our heads a lot sooner," she said giving Hermione a look that said, <em>'Trust me. I know what I'm talking about'.</em></p>
      <p>"We actually had a talk after the twins were born about whether we should use some sort of medical solution to stop ourselves from having more babies. I thank the Lord we didn't. I can't stand the thought that I might not have had Ron or Ginny."</p>
      <p>Hermione praised the Lord too at that moment inside her head for not letting Molly act on her words. Just the thought that if Molly and Arthur would have agreed to stop having more children, there would be no Ron, was too scary for her.</p>
      <p>"As you can understand, my life became very simple after I got married, Hermione. I stayed home to raise my children 24/7. This was my job and when it comes to Ron, I'm afraid I didn't such a good job," Molly said sadly, surprising Hermione with her words.</p>
      <p>"You see, Hermione, Ron was always in the shadow of his brothers and Ginny. He never said it to me out loud, but I know he feels that way. I suppose I helped a lot with that too. I was never really supportive of his choices. I never had bad intentions, but I know I made some mistakes in the past when it came to Ron. As a mother I always wanted the best for my children and always tried to be supportive. I always supported my older sons. Bill and Percy went to college in another country and I was so proud of them. Charlie was always a free spirit, but he always knew what he wanted; that's why I never had any fears about his future. Then Fred and George came and I knew since they were little kids, that their future would hold great things for them. They are brilliant at what they do, but let me tell you that it was a really tiring job to be their mother. They always required a lot of my time. I was always behind them trying to make sure they wouldn't set the house on fire," she joked and Hermione smiled, silently agreeing that it must have been really exhausting to raise the twins.</p>
      <p>"I also showed a lot of favoritism towards Ginny. She's my only daughter. I don't love her more than my other children, but I suppose after so many boys, her birth was like a breath of fresh air. I was afraid that being an only girl with so many brothers she would turn into a tomboy, so I paid much more attention to her, trying to show her the difference between boys and girls."</p>
      <p>Hermione couldn't argue with that logic. Molly's fear that Ginny might turned into a tomboy was more than reasonable.</p>
      <p>"Ron got lost somewhere in between. He had the misfortunate to be born between the twins and Ginny. I tried so hard, but I never had enough time for him. That's why Ron is closer with his father. Arthur always had time for Ron. Since he was a little boy, he took Ron with him to the garage and taught him everything about cars and he didn't need me anymore."</p>
      <p>Hermione saw Molly become very emotional and she noticed a single tear rolling down her cheek. She reached into her purse, pulled out a pack of tissues, and gave one to Molly who took it and wiped the tears from her eyes.</p>
      <p>"That's my biggest regret. I think I did my best to be a good mother to Ron, but sometimes I keep thinking that maybe it wasn't enough," Molly sniffed in a sad voice and Hermione felt the need to hug her.</p>
      <p>"Molly, Ron loves you and he loves all his family," Hermione said softly placing her hand on Molly's hand and giving a gentle squeeze. "You are a great mother and he knows that."</p>
      <p>"Oh, dear, you are such a nice girl," Molly said hugging Hermione in a motherly way. "I knew from the moment Ron brought you home that first time for Ginny's birthday, that you two were meant for each other."</p>
      <p>Hermione was surprised at Molly's words. She wondered what she meant by that. "We weren't together then."</p>
      <p>"Hermione, very often people ignore the obvious because they are not ready to accept it or deal with it, but that doesn't mean that these things are not there or that they go unnoticed by others. Do you want to know what happened that day at Ginny's birthday party and how I knew you were the one for my son?" Molly asked her.</p>
      <p>Hermione nodded in curiosity, although she knew that whatever Molly was going to tell her, wasn't going to show what Molly thought to be true. She wasn't in love with Ron back then. At least she never thought she was.</p>
      <p>"We were all in the living room except Ron and Arthur. If you remember, Arthur's car had broken down while he was coming home and Ron went to pick him up with his car."</p>
      <p>"Yes, I remember that."</p>
      <p>"You were talking and laughing with Ginny and Harry about something and then Ron and Arthur arrived. I had my ears and eyes on you, trying to get to know more about you. I'll never forget your face when you saw my son walking into the living room."</p>
      <p>Hermione thought back to that day and she was surprised when she could remember in detail the moment that Ron came back with his father. She remembered that he was wearing the white shirt that she had given him as a present for his birthday, and that he had a shaving cut on his neck that she had caused by mistake when she opened the bathroom door that morning without knocking, startling him.</p>
      <p>"Ginny was talking to you, but you had stopped paying any attention. Your eyes were glued to Ron and your whole face lit up the moment he looked back at you and smiled. You both kept staring at each other for a few seconds and then Ron walked over and sat next to you, you rested your head on his shoulder, and he kissed your forehead."</p>
      <p>Hermione smiled at the memory. She did remember. What she realised at that moment, though, was something else. That after so many years she still remembered how Ron smelled that day.</p>
      <p>"I'm sure that to both of you, this was just another act of friendship, but I knew after that moment, that you were the one. Your eyes told me everything and there was no need for questions anymore. All that was left was for you two to realise it for yourselves."</p>
      <p>Hermione thought really hard. No, moments like these weren't the exact definition of romance or attraction, but still she couldn't argue with Molly that it was moments like these when she knew that she couldn't live without Ron.</p>
      <p>"I would have preferred it to happen sooner, but I'm not complaining," Molly finished joking.</p>
      <p>"I would have preferred it to happen sooner too," Hermione whispered in agreement with a smile.</p>
      <p>"But that's not the reason I wanted us to talk. I wanted to ask you for a favour," Molly said and Hermione looked at her with a mix of curiosity and confusion, putting aside her thoughts for a while.</p>
      <p>"After Ron's game on Saturday, we are all going to visit the factory as you know. That day, Fred and George are going to propose officially to Ron to be the new chairman of the board! He's going to be the head of the Weasley's fireworks company!"</p>
      <p>Hermione had no idea how she was supposed to react to that.</p>
      <p>"I don't expect Ron to be very happy about it considering how passionately he has rejected even discussing the possibility of coming to work in the factory in the past, but this is the chairman's position we are talking about, Hermione. I know Ron, and I know he will be brilliant in this job. All I need from you is your support."</p>
      <p>Hermione kept staring at Molly with a blank expression, unable to utter a sentence. What was she supposed to do? Act like she shared her enthusiasm for the prospect or tell her what she truly believed? And what she believed was that Ron wouldn't be happy if he had to resign from football and the last thing she wanted was to see him unhappy.</p>
      <p>Thinking really hard, she decided that she had told enough lies to this woman and maybe it was time to start using honesty. In any case, she preferred to disappoint Molly than Ron.</p>
      <p>"Ron is a football playet, Molly. That is his job. I know you have the best of intentions for him and you only want the best for him, but you are wrong about this."</p>
      <p>Molly gave her a perplexed look, as if she was surprised by her reaction. "I know that Ron loves playing football, Hermione, but it's just a game."</p>
      <p>"No, it's not!" Hermione reacted passionately. "Playing football makes Ron happy. It's his dream job and he's working really hard for this. It's not just a game."</p>
      <p>"Hermione, I think-," Molly started saying, but Hermione interrupted her.</p>
      <p>"Please let me finish, Molly."</p>
      <p>Molly was taken aback by this, but she let Hermione speak her mind.</p>
      <p>"I have known Ron almost six years now, and whenever the conversation goes around to his job and you, he always has a sad expression on his face. He knows very well that you don't approve of his job, and I know that he acts like the lack of support by you is not hurting him, but it does. Before coming here, I thought he was exaggerating about this whole thing, but it turns out he was right," Hermione said softly, feeling very sad for Ron suddenly.</p>
      <p>"What future can he have in football, Hermione? He's going to play for what? Ten years more? What happens after?"</p>
      <p>"I suppose that's something he's going to figure out when the time comes," Hermione answered.</p>
      <p>"And what would happen if he has an offer from a team that's not in London? What if he has an offer to go play in another country? What are you going to do?"</p>
      <p>That thought hadn't crossed Hermione's mind before, mainly because Ron was always on the bench, but now he wasn't anymore. He was playing regularly and he was playing well. The possibility of an offer from another team was quite large now.</p>
      <p>
        <em>What if he does have an offer to go play in Spain or Greece or I don't know where? What's going to happen to us? I can't leave with him and I can't make him stay because of me.</em>
      </p>
      <p>"I guess that's another thing we'll figure out if and when the time comes," Hermione almost stammered in fear.</p>
      <p>"Why are you doing this, Hermione? Don't you want Ron to have a nice secure job, without worrying about things like that?"</p>
      <p>"I don't think it works like that, Molly. I don't blame you, though, for thinking that way and wanting the best for your son. Like you said, that's what mothers do and if I ever have a child, I'll probably do the same," Hermione said truthfully.</p>
      <p>"But for me, the most important thing is for Ron to be happy and he won't be if you take football away from him. I'm sorry, Molly, but I'm not going to support you in this. You can make your offer to Ron, but I'll support whatever choice he makes. If he accepts it, then I'm with him. If he rejects it, then I'm still with him," she said looking Molly straight in the eyes.</p>
      <p>Molly didn't say anything. She just gave a sad smile and kissed Hermione's forehead, before she sat up in silence walking to the door, ready to leave the room. When she turned the doorknob, she stopped and turned around to face Hermione.</p>
      <p>"I may not agree with his decision about his career, but he did a fantastic job at finding the best girl for him," she said and with that she walked away closing the door behind her.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>After giving his father the car keys, Ron went to the playroom, waiting for Hermione to end her discussion with his mother, and there he found Charlie and Percy playing on the pool table. They were having a heated discussion about what was the right way of raising a child.</p>
      <p>"You don't get it, Percy. Teaching my son about rock climbing or rafting and all the stuff I love doing, is the right way of parenting. I'm going to teach them what I love, and that's what parents should do," Charlie said.</p>
      <p>"So, you basically want to teach your son how to risk his life on a daily basis?" Percy replied sarcastically.</p>
      <p>"It's better than teaching him what inflation or interest rates are."</p>
      <p>"Sorry, that I want my son to be prepared for the real world and I don't want him to jump off cliffs and bridges."</p>
      <p>"It's called bungee jumping."</p>
      <p>"Whatever. That's not the point. You really want to risk the life of your kid just for a little adventure in the wild?"</p>
      <p>"Of course, I'll protect my kid from any harm, you idiot. But just like you raise Daniel in the way you think is best, I want to raise my son with the way I think is best."</p>
      <p>"And putting your son in danger is your brilliant way to raise him?"</p>
      <p>"No, you got it all wrong," Charlie groaned in frustration.</p>
      <p>At that point, Ron had stopped paying any attention to the conversation and all he could think about was how eager Charlie was with the prospect of being a father.</p>
      <p>Charlie was always the adventurous guy, but picturing him as a dad wasn't that difficult for Ron. He always treated his nephews and nieces with great affection and the kids loved him too, because he had the best stories to tell. Charlie has so many adventures and crazy stories about his life that sometimes Ron felt jealous of him and he knew he wasn't the only one feeling like that about Charlie.</p>
      <p>Of course, most of his stories were before he met Sofia. After they got together, Charlie changed for the better. He kept his adventurous style and free spirit, but it had become apparent to anyone who knew him, that he now cared about someone other than himself. Or better yet, now he cared about someone more than he cared about himself.</p>
      <p>Ron still remembered with a chuckle how his mother fainted when Charlie told her that he was getting married. She had previously lost any hope that Charlie would ever take life seriously and make a family and considering how he never mentioned he was dating someone, the news of his engagement came as a shock to Molly and everyone in the family.</p>
      <p>Despite their efforts though, he and Sofia hadn't had a child yet. The doctors said they were both physically fine and that eventually it would happen, and five years later, that moment finally came. The news of Sofia's pregnancy almost four months ago, brought happiness to the Weasley family and Charlie was like the happiest man alive.</p>
      <p>Although Ron was the only Weasley besides Charlie that had no child, he couldn't really relate to what Charlie was feeling. He had other priorities in his life than having a family. Although he didn't want kids right now, the idea of having a couple of ginger kids calling him daddy in the future wasn't a horrible thought, especially when that picture was completed with Hermione as the mommy.</p>
      <p>He smiled at the thought, but simultaneously that thought was way too scary. It was too soon to think stuff like that. Hell, he'd been a couple with Hermione for only two bloody hours! And if the thought of having babies or a family together so soon scared him, he was sure it would freak her out!</p>
      <p>"You thinking about the game on Saturday?" he suddenly heard Harry's voice as Harry sat down next to him.</p>
      <p>"Yeah, what else would I be thinking about?" Ron lied.</p>
      <p>"What's with them?"</p>
      <p>"They are discussing which of them is a better father."</p>
      <p>"Isn't it a little soon for Charlie? Did Sofia gave birth and I missed it?"</p>
      <p>"No, but Charlie is sure he's going to do a better job than Percy, hence the shouting match."</p>
      <p>"Oh, I see," Harry said nodding. "Come on, let's play a game," he added as he turned on the Playstation.</p>
      <p>Ron took one controller and prepared once again to beat Harry easily in PRO Evolution Soccer. It was about ten minutes later when Ron scored his fourth goal and Harry groaned in frustration.</p>
      <p>"How come I can never beat you? You are a goalkeeper. You're not supposed to know how to score goals," Harry complained and Ron chuckled.</p>
      <p>"Yeah laugh, but you know what they say, "whoever wins in Playstation, loses in love," right?"</p>
      <p>"No, that's not accurate since I win in both ways," Ron said grinning. He leaned towards Harry and whispered in his ear. "Hermione and I are together now, for real."</p>
      <p>"WHAT?" Harry screamed earning everyone's attention in the room. Realising that everyone was looking at him, waiting for an explanation about his reaction, he made up a quick lie to cover it up.</p>
      <p>"No, Ron, Messi is better than Cristiano Ronaldo. How could you possibly say that he's not?"</p>
      <p>Percy and Charlie snorted at this and went back to their pool game, while Harry sat down again. "Congrats, brother! I told you she was feeling the same way about you and you didn't want to believe me. Now say I was right. Say it," he demanded, in a quiet voice, almost whispering so that the others couldn't hear him.</p>
      <p>"You were right"</p>
      <p>"That's right I was," Harry said jubilantly. "Tell me how it happened. How did you tell her?"</p>
      <p>"Oh come on, Harry. That is girl's talk and we are guys. Do you really think I'm going to start gloating about my love life?" Ron snorted shaking his head.</p>
      <p>"Yes, you will."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, I know I will, but now is not a good time. I'll tell you all the details later tonight, alright?" Ron said and Harry agreed patting him on the arm, before going back to their game.</p>
      <p>A few games later, Ron decided to go back to his room. He was sure that his mother would be gone by then. He wasn't quite sure, though, what he was supposed to do now. Even though the idea of sleeping with Hermione was painfully tempting, he was tired and wanted to get some rest, knowing that later that night he would have to go to the nightclub.</p>
      <p>Plus, with all the interruptions, he felt like the moment was ruined and they should wait for a better time, preferably with less people around.</p>
      <p>When he walked into the room, he noticed that Hermione had a very thoughtful expression on her face, like she was trying to solve a difficult riddle.</p>
      <p>"Did mum give you a headache with marriage talk?" he asked her, startling her.</p>
      <p>"No, there was something else she wanted to talk to me about."</p>
      <p>When Ron gave her a confused look, she replied with a lie, "She wants to buy a belated present for my parents for Christmas, but she didn't know what they would want and she asked for my help."</p>
      <p>She couldn't really say to Ron what exactly his mother wanted her for. Not only was it supposed to be a secret until Saturday, but she was sure that Ron wouldn't have liked the idea of his mother planning his future without asking him.</p>
      <p>Ron bought it, since he had no reasons not to believe that excuse. He gave her a nervous glance and sat down next to her on the bed, without touching her. He knew that the simple touch could detonate a series of emotions and urges and he wasn't up for it at the moment. He was too tired physically and mentally.</p>
      <p>The same thoughts apparently were crossing through Hermione's mind to his luck or dismay.</p>
      <p>"I don't know about you, but I think it was for our own good that they interrupted us, Ron. We both need to get some rest, especially you after all the training and the driving. Also, we need to be safe and since i helped you pack, i know you don't have any condoms on you," Hermione said hesitantly, a part of her secretly wishing for Ron to shut her up with his mouth and make her his, right on the spot.</p>
      <p>"Yeah, i forgot about that part." Ron said rubbing his neck.</p>
      <p>"There is also something else, Ron," she said nervously. While she was waiting for Ron to come back to their room, she had the time to think hard about what had occurred in the last hours. Although she felt like the happiest woman on earth, she wasn't so sure if they were handling the new status of their relationship in the right way.</p>
      <p>"I don't think we should rush our relationship. I mean we practically… shagged, minutes after we shared our feelings. I don't think it should happen like that. I want to experience the whole thing, Ron," she said softly looking deeply into his blue eyes.</p>
      <p>Ron nodded hesitantly, but he wasn't sure what exactly she meant by that. "What does that mean?" he asked her.</p>
      <p>"I want us to go on a date first," she said after taking a deep breath.</p>
      <p>Ron let out a chuckle. "That's it?"</p>
      <p>"I know it's something small, but I want us to have one date before we… move to the next level," Hermione said, her face burning hotly thinking about it.</p>
      <p>"You know, technically, last night was a date," Ron tried to make a point.</p>
      <p>"No, it wasn't. It was a tour of the town between friends."</p>
      <p>"What about tonight? Going to the nightclub can be our first date," Ron said, trying to please her.</p>
      <p>"A first date with twelve more people? How romantic."</p>
      <p>Ron sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Well, what do you want me to do, Hermione? Our schedule here is a little tight. Unless you want to wait until we're back to London and have our first date."</p>
      <p>It was Hermione's turn to sigh deeply. "Then I suppose that's what we must do."</p>
      <p>"And until then, we are not supposed to get into any kind of intimacy, right?" Ron said sadly.</p>
      <p>'Right…," Hermione said in the same sad tone.</p>
      <p>It was the first time that Hermione saw the flaw in her plan. Yes, a romantic first date was vital to her, but how could she keep herself away from Ron until they were back in London? She wasn't that strong; she knew that. Fortunately for her, Ron reminded her that sex wasn't the only way to be close to each other.</p>
      <p>"Snogging is excluded?" Ron asked hopefully.</p>
      <p>"Oh, yes, we can definitely snog as much as we want," Hermione nodded passionately, thanking Ron in her head for finding some exceptions.</p>
      <p>"Are hands off the table?" he asked her raising an eyebrow.</p>
      <p>"I don't see any harm with some… touching," Hermione said blushing. "But only when we are alone!"</p>
      <p>"So, I must not grab your tits at dinner, right?" Ron joked. He regretted saying this though, because images of what they were doing earlier flooded his mind and he desperately tried to remove the feel of her breasts from his hands and the taste of her nipples from his mouth.</p>
      <p>"No, you must definitely not… at dinner," Hermione said, still blushing but with a mischievous smile on her face.</p>
      <p>Ron grinned back and for a moment he thought that this was a message from her to do something about it. Yes, he was bloody tired and his sore body wanted rest desperately, but he couldn't help it. He moved a little closer to her bringing his face inches from hers.</p>
      <p>"So…. Hmmm… sleep?" Hermione suggested stammering.</p>
      <p>It felt like someone had just thrown a bucket of cold water on him, but he couldn't show that to Hermione.</p>
      <p>"Yeah, that's a good idea. I'm a little… sleepy," Ron said getting up from the bed, so he could change into something more comfortable for sleeping, meaning taking off his trousers and leaving just his boxers on.</p>
      <p>While he was pulling his trousers down, Hermione was clenching her fists, trying to keep herself from attacking him. She was almost certain that he was doing it just to torture her.</p>
      <p>Ron on the other hand wasn't sure if he should be grateful to Hermione for suggesting sleep, or be disappointed that once again they would fall into bed next to each other, doing nothing more than sleeping. He gave a quick glance at Hermione and saw her staring intensely at his boxers.</p>
      <p>"Enjoying the striptease, you naughty girl?" he teased her doing a little sexy wiggle with his hips, when he noticed that her gaze was fixed on him a lot lower than where his eyes were.</p>
      <p>She was ready to deny it, like always, but she reminded herself that now she and Ron were together, so there was nothing she should be afraid of. "Maybe I am," she teased back.</p>
      <p>Then to tease him even more, she started taking off her clothes too, in a very slow and seductive way. She had to control herself not to burst into laughter when she saw Ron's pupils widen at the sight.</p>
      <p>When she removed her jeans too, she stood for a few seconds with just her knickers and bra in front of Ron who gulped. It was the second time he saw her only in her underwear, after that disasterous night that ended with her vomiting on him and once again the poor bloke couldn't do anything about it.</p>
      <p>She kept enjoying giving her show and her big finish was when she bent over to take her clothes from the floor and put them in the closet. Then she walked slowly to the bed and got under the covers waiting for Ron to join her.</p>
      <p>Ron was still at the same spot, like a statue, with his eyes and mouth wide open. It was as if he was trying to believe if what he saw was real and he didn't imagine it.</p>
      <p>"Are you trying to sleep standing?" she heard Hermione asking him. Walking with difficulty to the bed, he lay down next to Hermione facing her.</p>
      <p>"Don't do that again, unless it's after our first date, understood?" he begged her.</p>
      <p>"What did I do?" Hermione asked with an innocent voice. "Did my panties cause you discomfort? I'm sorry, but I think it's more comfortable sleeping like this, don't you agree?"</p>
      <p>She knew she was torturing him, but he started it.</p>
      <p>"Hermione, you said we need to sleep. So, I'm begging you, stop talking and stop being sexy. Please!" he begged her again. It was too much for him.</p>
      <p>She chuckled softly and placed her hand on his cheek, caressing it. "I'll try, handsome. Now let's get some sleep."</p>
      <p>She didn't hesitate to rest her head on his chest and Ron wrapped his arms around her. It felt so right to sleep that way; she had no idea how she spent so many years of her life without this. She snuggled more closely to him and Ron held her more tightly. For Hermione, this was heaven.</p>
      <p>"I love you, Ron. Tell me you love me too," she whispered to him. There was no reply and she moved her head to watch Ron's sleeping face.</p>
      <p>She smiled and moved her head to rest back on his chest. "It's okay. You don't have to say it. I know it now," she said softly, before closing her eyes and falling sleep, the smile on her face still there.</p>
    </div>
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<a name="section0024"><h2>24. No more teasing</h2></a>
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      <p>Once again, the annoying beep of the alarm sounded and Ron turned it off with a groan. Truth was that he needed much more sleep right now to heal his sore body, but thanks to the stupid idea everyone else had to go clubbing, he had no alternative but to wake up.</p>
      <p>Hermione was still sleeping with her body wrapped around him and Ron grinned. He had to admit that even though his life changed very fast since the last time he woke up, he wasn't scared, as someone would normally be in a similar situation.</p>
      <p>What he felt was a combination of joy, hope and excitement. He gently placed his hand on her hair and started caressing softly. She moved her body slightly after feeling his touch and now her face was closer to his.</p>
      <p>"Wake up, Granger. We must get ready for dinner," Ron whispered into her ear, causing her to smile at the sound of his voice.</p>
      <p>"But I'm still sleepy," she complained softly, hugging him more tightly now.</p>
      <p>He placed his lips softly to hers and gave her a sweet kiss that lasted long enough for both of them to search desperately for air. "Was that enough to wake you up, beautiful?"</p>
      <p>"Hardly," she said as she crashed her lips to his with the same passion as she had before they were interrupted a few hours earlier. This time, though, she was wise to put an end to their snogging after a few seconds, ignoring the ache between her legs and the little voice inside her head screaming at her to shut up and go with it.</p>
      <p>She wanted to make love to Ron, but not now. If they rushed things, they could ruin everything and she wouldn't risk losing him now that she found him.</p>
      <p>"Now, that's more like it," she said giving him a last peck on the lips.</p>
      <p>Ron got up and went to the bathroom, and Hermione found the chance to put some clothes on. She couldn't believe her boldness of sleeping with him with only her bra and knickers on. She put on a sweater and shorts and decided to have a shower since they were going to the nightclub later.</p>
      <p>"Bathroom is yours now, if you want."</p>
      <p>"Good, i need to take a shower."</p>
      <p>"Call me if you need help washing your back," he shouted, making her halt and turn to see his smug face. "I have two very functional and skillful hands that are ready to please you."</p>
      <p>For a moment, she considered playing along and inviting him to the tub, but she decided against it. It would be torture considering that they wouldn't do anything.</p>
      <p>"All in due time, Weasley," was all she could reply. She was ready to turn around again and walk to the bathroom, when from the corner of her eye, she saw the envelope that had Ron's contract offer, next to her purse.</p>
      <p>"Oh, my God, Ron. We forgot to talk about your contract offer! Tomorrow is the deadline!"</p>
      <p>"Buggering hell, I forgot!" Ron cried. "See what you're doing to me?"</p>
      <p>Hermione went to the desk and pulled out a file from the envelope. She opened the file and gave Ron a paper. "Okay, this is exactly what they are offering in simple terms. Read it while I'm taking my shower."</p>
      <p>Kissing him on the forehead, she ran to the bathroom while Ron looked at the paper and started reading.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Main Contract offer</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>Wage: 3500£/week</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>Signing on Fee: 20000£</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>Agent or Lawyer Fee: 10000£</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>Contract Length: 3 years</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>Bonuses</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>Appearance Fee Bonus: 500£</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>Clean Sheet Bonus: 1000£</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>Promotion Bonus: 10000£</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>Division Winners Bonus: +5000£ to Promotion Bonus</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>FA Cup Finalists Bonus: 5000£</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>FA Cup Winners Bonus: 30000£</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>Clauses</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>Yearly Wage Rise: 10%</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>Minimum Fee Release Clause (UK &amp; Foreign Clubs): 2.2 million£</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>Relegation Wage Drop: 30%</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>One-Year Automatic Extension after League Games (Final Season): After 15 games.</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>* If you don't play more than 25% of the games in a year, then they have the right to terminate the contract automatically without warning, simply by buying the rest of your contract for 10000£.</em>
      </p>
      <p>Ron looked at the numbers and he had to admit that they did look good, but not as good as he had hoped. There was a significant increase from what he was earning right now, but knowing the market, he knew that this contract wouldn't place him in the list of the best-paid goalkeepers in the division. He knew for sure that they offered him a lot less than what Zabini was earning and he knew that, because the tosser couldn't shut about it in the locker room.</p>
      <p>The little warning in the end was what was troubling him most, though. Sure, it didn't mean that if he was on the bench again they would kick him out of the squad, but to put it there then that means that they considered the possibility. In his eyes, that showed a total lack of respect for him and his years on the club.</p>
      <p>Still, it was far better than what he was earning right now and since he didn't have any alternatives, it was practically a done deal in his mind. All that was left was to sign the papers.</p>
      <p>Hermione came back from the bathroom fifteen minutes later wearing just a bathrobe and lay on the bed next to him, applying some lotion to her feet.</p>
      <p>While the sight was pretty arousing, Ron couldn't focus on Hermione's show. His thoughts were on the offer. Now with Hermione back in the room, he found the chance to ask her opinion about it. "What do you think?"</p>
      <p>Hermione sighed. Knowing Ron so well, she already knew that he would want to sign the contract and she didn't want to tell him that in her opinion, signing this contract was a bad idea. "Ron, it's really your life and your decision. Please don't put me in the middle of this."</p>
      <p>Ron felt slightly hurt by her comment. He thought that she would know by now that she was a huge part of his life and he had to treat her as an integral part. Her not providing any advice to him and dismissing this subject with such ease, made him feel like this decision wasn't going to affect her life as well; that was like a punch in the stomach.</p>
      <p>"Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry," he mumbled as he turned his back on her and started re-reading the contract offer again trying to hide his emotions.</p>
      <p>"You're sorry for what?" Hermione asked him, confused, although she had already a very good idea that Ron's reaction came from her lack of help. "Ron, I asked you what you are sorry about?" she asked again, seeing that Ron was childishly ignoring her.</p>
      <p>"I don't know, Hermione! Maybe I'm sorry for thinking that you are a part of my life and in this moment you would help me make the right decision. Yeah, I'm that insane for thinking such an outrageous thing!" he snapped, as he turned to look at her again.</p>
      <p>"Okay, why are you reacting like that?"</p>
      <p>Ron didn't reply, and instead he gave his full attention to the paper he was holding and pretended he was reading it again.</p>
      <p>Hermione snatched the paper from his hands, earning his full attention. "I don't know if it's a good offer or not, because they are not offering it to me! It's you that must decide if what they are offering is meeting your needs or desires or ambitions. I'm here to support you in whatever you decide. Not to decide for you."</p>
      <p>"I didn't ask you to make the decision for me, Hermione. I just thought that since we are together now, it would be good to know what my girlfriend thinks about it. Sorry, I won't do it again."</p>
      <p>"What did you say?"</p>
      <p>"I said I won't do it again, alright?"</p>
      <p>"No, before that," she said looking at Ron tenderly. "You called me your… girlfriend?"</p>
      <p>Ron thought for a moment. He did call her his girlfriend. <em>Bloody hell, Hermione is my girlfriend!</em> He shouted to himself, trying to believe that something that he was wishing and hoping for so long was now true. Or was it?</p>
      <p>Just because he said it didn't automatically make it a reality. He had never asked Hermione to be his girlfriend so it would be highly irresponsible to make statements like that. There was only one way to find out if Hermione wanted to be his girlfriend.</p>
      <p>"So, what if I did? Is it something you don't want or …"</p>
      <p>"No, I want it!" Hermione practically screamed in his ear. "I think I made it pretty obvious how much I want it in the last few hours, didn't I?" she smiled.</p>
      <p>Ron smiled back and felt his heart getting warmer after hearing Hermione's words.</p>
      <p>"It's just the first time you said it to… me. I just liked the sound of it," Hermione said chewing the inside of her lips. "Can you say it one more time?"</p>
      <p>"You have time for that, but not time to give me bloody advice for my contract offer?" Ron teased her and she punched him again lightly in the arm like last night. Ron began to think that this is probably something he must get used to, now that they were together.</p>
      <p>"You are my girlfriend, Hermione. You are going to get tired of hearing it all the time because I'm not going to stop saying it," he said wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer to him.</p>
      <p>"And you are my boyfriend, Ron," she said wrapping her arms around his neck. "I can't believe that you are my boyfriend."</p>
      <p>"What, like it's weird or something?"</p>
      <p>"There is nothing weird with you being my boyfriend, Ron. Well, maybe a little weird considering our past, but what I meant is that I can't believe that I can actually kiss you now in public and hold your hand, and introduce you to people as my boyfriend, knowing that it's not a lie anymore. It's real..." she said with such excitement, like a little girl opening her Christmas presents, finding out that Santa did read her letter and brought her what she had asked for.</p>
      <p>They started kissing, when Ron pulled his head back, breaking the kiss. "Was that your plan to make me forget about you not wanting to help me decide about my contract?"</p>
      <p>"Oh yes, you caught me! I was planning this for years and you fell right into my trap," Hermione laughed, before they both lay down again on the bed in a tight embrace, just holding each other.</p>
      <p>Snuggling into his chest, Hermione thought that Ron was right. They were together now, and since she was going to tell him about her offer from Lupin&amp;Tonks and ask him his opinion, it was only fair to do the same to him. Besides, she owed him that as his lawyer, not only as his girlfriend.</p>
      <p>"Do you really want my opinion, Ron?"</p>
      <p>"I wouldn't ask you if I didn't, would I?"</p>
      <p>"I think you deserve better than this," Hermione finally said in all honesty. "You deserve better treatment from the club that you've been providing your services to for the last five years. You deserve better than just a two day deadline. You deserve better terms in your contract. You are the main keeper of the team and, as that, you deserve to be treated as an important member of the club. Lastly, you definitely don't deserve to let them kick you out if, for an unknown reason, you don't play enough games."</p>
      <p>Hermione had just voiced all Ron's thoughts about the offer without knowing it. He slowly moved his hand to intertwine his fingers with hers.</p>
      <p>"I'm scared," he admitted, surprising Hermione.</p>
      <p>"Scared to make a decision?"</p>
      <p>He nodded. "They say that a football player gets his best contract at 25 and a good retirement contract at his 30. So, it scares me that my best contract will be this."</p>
      <p>"Don't think like that, Ron. This is the first year that you actually had the chance to show what you're worth. I can guarantee that if you keep playing like this, more and better contracts will come to you," she tried to give him hope. "You just have to have faith to yourself."</p>
      <p>"Yes, but football is not a steady profession, Hermione. If I don't accept this contract, I can be out of work before blinking a bloody eye. This contract might be the best I could ever get."</p>
      <p>"So what, Ron? You were never after money anyways."</p>
      <p>"I don't care if I'm rich, Hermione, but I do care not to be poor again. I've told you how poor we were in the past. I don't expect you to understand how it really feels to not have anything that is yours and only yours as a kid, but try to understand that I can't go back to that."</p>
      <p>The honesty of his words surprised Hermione. Ron was a very easy to satisfy man. He was never after luxuries, and although he could afford a few guilty pleasures, he never bought or did anything extraordinary or expensive. Plus, his family had a lot of money now, so she couldn't understand his sudden fear of being poor again.</p>
      <p>"Ron, your family is rich now, so I don't understand why-," she started saying, but Ron quickly interrupted her.</p>
      <p>"My brothers are rich, not me," he simply stated. It was more than enough for Hermione to realize Ron's reaction to his contract offer. "I never took anything from the family money and I don't plan on doing it in the future either. My only income is what I earn from football and nothing else."</p>
      <p>She placed a hand on his cheek and caressed it gently. "I didn't mean it like that, Ron. I wanted to say that if things don't work out as you plan, then it's not the end of the world. You have your family to help and support you."</p>
      <p>His expression softened after this. "I know that, Hermione, and trust me when I'm saying that I'm more than grateful for my family. I know they'll be there to help me if I run out of luck, but it's my last resort. Please try to understand," he whispered the last phrase.</p>
      <p>"I do," she whispered back as she hugged him tightly.</p>
      <p>They stayed like this for a while, just feeling each other's body pressed against each other. They both felt safe in this position, like nothing could hurt them.</p>
      <p>"You think we can change some terms for the better tomorrow? I mean you are my lawyer, so what's your professional opinion? Can we beat them?" he asked and Hermione didn't fail to notice the hopeful tone in his voice.</p>
      <p>She snuggled into his chest. "Together, we can."</p>
      <p>It seemed like that was exactly what Ron wanted to hear, because he lifted her chin and gave her a deep kiss, leaving her breathless for a few seconds, before being brought back to reality by the sound of his voice.</p>
      <p>"You know, I'm impressed with how you managed to take my contract and made such a nice short summary. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea if we were friends at school. You would do my homework and then I could present it as my own."</p>
      <p>"This little pretty head of yours never stops thinking nonsense, does it?" Hemione joked. "I would never do something like that."</p>
      <p>"I think you would," Ron said and Hermione shook her head smiling.</p>
      <p>"Are you telling me that if I came to you, looking at you with my pleading eyes, you wouldn't help me?" Ron said giving her his puppy dog look.</p>
      <p>"No, you would have to do more than that," Hermione said shaking her head, pleading with herself mentally to stay strong. Ron's puppy dog look was always something she couldn't resist and he knew very well how to use it during all those years of friendship, whenever he wanted a favour.</p>
      <p>Ron thought for a moment. "How about if I gave you something back for your help? Would that do the trick?"</p>
      <p>He placed his hand to her chest and then his hand started traveling lower, past her belly, until it was resting between her thighs.</p>
      <p>Hermione's eyelids fluttered at the feeling of Ron's hand. She couldn't believe what he was doing! He promised to behave until their first date, but here he was, caressing her in places that only her hand had, in the last couple of years.</p>
      <p>She wanted to run out the room and as far away from Ron as possible. His touch wasn't something she could fight against and her desire for him was going to win, hands down. But she couldn't move. All she could do was keep her eyes closed and shiver in anticipation for more, as she parted her legs wider.</p>
      <p>"You wouldn't do that in school. I wouldn't let you," she said trembling.</p>
      <p>Ron smirked at her even though she couldn't see him. He gently untied her bathrobe, exposing her body. He wasted no time and put his hands underneath the thin fabric of her soaked panties, earning a loud moan from Hermione.</p>
      <p>"I think you would, Miss Granger. I think you would let me do this to you in your dorm, in the library or even in the classroom," said with his hot breath on her ear, causing goosebumps to appear all over her body.</p>
      <p>"Never in the library or in the clas-," Hermione tried to protest, but her breath was caught in her throat as soon as Ron started teasingly running his fingers up and down her damp slit. A mix of moaning and strong efforts to exhale was all the sound she could produce at the moment.</p>
      <p>"Never? Are you sure?" Ron whispered into her ear.</p>
      <p>"Po… positive," was all Hermione could stammer out, not even convincing herself.</p>
      <p>"So, if I sat next to you, let's say in Math, and put my hand underneath your skirt, my middle finger inside you and my thumb rubbing your clit, while the professor was trying to explain something on the board and all your classmates sitting next to you had no idea what I was doing to you, wouldn't that drive you mad with excitement and made you cum harder than ever?" he said, as he inserted his middle finger inside her, rubbing her clit rhythmically, just as he had described.</p>
      <p>Hermione was clenching the sheets so hard, not believing how she had no will power to push Ron away, but the truth was that she didn't want to push him away. How could she, when the pleasure was so intense?</p>
      <p>"We both know that when I was done with you, you would scream my name in ecstasy, right there in front of everyone," Ron continued his game, moving his finger inside and out, faster and faster. "You're thinking about it, aren't you? I bet you are."</p>
      <p>"Oh, that feels so good!" she moaned loudly as she licked her lips.</p>
      <p>"I know it does. God, you're so fucking wet," said Ron in a cocky attitude.</p>
      <p>"Don't stop. Please don't stop!" Hermione begged him. She was so close to coming now.</p>
      <p>"Tell me Hermione. Would you do my homework if I did this to you?"</p>
      <p>"God, yes!" she screamed, knowing that she was one thrust of Ron's finger away from reaching her climax. A thrust that never came though, as Ron removed his hand from her abruptly.</p>
      <p>"See, that wasn't so difficult for you to admit it, was it?" he said as he sat up from the bed, and started walking away from her and to the door.</p>
      <p>"What are you doing? Get back to what you were doing!" she screamed at him in frustration.</p>
      <p>"You know I would, but I just remembered what we agreed on earlier. I'm sorry for letting myself get carried away, but you're right. I don't think it's appropriate, since we haven't gone on our first date yet," he said with a fake, sad expression.</p>
      <p>"Don't be late. I'll save you a seat next to me," he grinned at her and then before leaving he mouthed the word <em>payback</em> to her.</p>
      <p>Hermione took his pillow and threw it at the closing door with force and then she grabbed her pillow and placed it over her face. "Argh, I'm going to kill him!" she screamed and after minutes of silent curses that involved a lot of promises to harm Ron's private parts, she decided to calm down and get ready for dinner.</p>
      <p>One thing was for sure though. She was going to get revenge on him and he was going to regret his decision to mess with her.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Ron was sitting in his chair at the dining table, praying for the food to come out quickly and eat. Since he couldn't satisfy his hunger for Hermione's body then, at least he would compromise by satisfying his hunger with some roast meat. Plus, he had a feeling that he was going to pay for what he did to Hermione a few minutes earlier, so at least it would be better to be punished on a full stomach.</p>
      <p>
        <em>And besides, she started it</em>
      </p>
      <p>At the dining table Aunt Muriel was having a talk with Fleur and Bill who were smiling awkwardly at her, and desperately waiting for food to save them; the twins, Harry and Ginny were waiting as well.</p>
      <p>Ron saw Harry telling something to Ginny and then walking over to him; he sat in the vacant seat next to him, patting him on the shoulder.</p>
      <p>"Your girlfriend tired you out and you slept until now? I was waiting for you to come back again and play some more video games."</p>
      <p>"Unlike you, Harry, I have to wake up in the morning to go to work after your brilliant plan to go clubbing in Devon," Ron groaned.</p>
      <p>"Hey, you're still whining about that? I thought that now that you're off the bachelors' list, you would stop being so grumpy."</p>
      <p>"Tell that to my body that needs rest and I waste time staying awake, because Angelina and Katie are dance freaks and they found one more way to show off their new expensive dresses."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, I can't deny that, but remember that it's going to be the first time you're going to dance with Hermione. Isn't that enough to cheer you up?"</p>
      <p>Ron's mind wandered to the first day that he and Hermione moved in together. After the tiring part of putting everything in the right place, on Hermione's orders of course, it was already night and Ron suggested opening a bottle of wine to celebrate their first day in the house. After they drank the whole bottle, they were both light-headed and ended up dancing without music. They were just holding each other swaying lightly in an imaginary rhythm for quite some time.</p>
      <p>"I've danced with Hermione before. Once actually," he admitted, causing Harry to grin at his best friend's blushing face.</p>
      <p>"Well, now you're going to have your first dance with your girlfriend-Hermione and not your friend-Hermione. Is that better?"</p>
      <p>Ron smiled back and drank a sip of water. It did sound a lot better when Harry put it like that.</p>
      <p>"I read in the paper that you're going for a Striker in January to replace Seamus. I guess he's not happy about it, huh?" Harry said in a worrying tone. Seamus was a member of the gang after all, like Neville.</p>
      <p>Ron frowned. "Where did you read that?"</p>
      <p>"In today's paper. You didn't read it?"</p>
      <p>Ron shook his head and sighed deeply. That wasn't good at all, especially considering what happened earlier in the morning. "Oh, fuck!"</p>
      <p>"What is it?"</p>
      <p>"A little joke in the locker room got out of hand and Seamus got mad at us. I see now that it was bad timing," Ron said cursing himself for that. "That git didn't say anything though."</p>
      <p>"Maybe he didn't know it yet. Your practices are in the morning so I doubt he had the time to read the paper. Don't beat yourself up."</p>
      <p>"Still, I feel like an arse now," Ron said running a hand through his hair.</p>
      <p>"Hey, quit thinking about it, mate. Tomorrow you can apologise to him if you feel the need to."</p>
      <p>Sighing, Ron decided that Harry was right. It wouldn't do any good to feel sorry about it. Besides, it wasn't the first time that the team was signing attackers, but Seamus always proved in training and in games that he deserved his spot in the starting eleven. He was an Irishman after all…stubborn, scrappy and proud to the core.</p>
      <p>"Now, this is what you should really be thinking about," Harry said pointing at the stairs where Hermione was coming down.</p>
      <p>She sat down in the chair next to Ron, looking furious at him, but she managed to greet Harry with a forced smile. "Hello, Harry."</p>
      <p>"Hi, Hermione. We were just talking about you."</p>
      <p>Ron leaned forward to kiss her, but she turned her head the other way. "What, I don't get a kiss now?"</p>
      <p>"Don't talk to me. Not after what you did," Hermione gritted through her teeth with a murderous look.</p>
      <p>"What did he do?"</p>
      <p>"He… he… oh, wipe that stupid grin off your face, Ron," she said angrily as she grabbed a piece of bread ready to throw it at his head, but Ron held her hand before she did it.</p>
      <p>"Is that any way to talk to or treat your boyfriend?" he teased her. Apparently, that was Hermione's weak spot.</p>
      <p><em>Boyfriend. Oh, my God, he's my boyfriend! And he called himself that in front of Harry! </em>She thought happily.</p>
      <p>As paranoid as it may seem, all her anger towards Ron vanished as soon as she heard him acknowledging their relationship to another person.</p>
      <p>She grabbed him by the neck and pulled his face down to snog him hard, and Ron didn't protest at all. Their tongues were having one more battle and instinctively, Hermione moved from her chair and sat on Ron's lap, wrapping her legs around him and straddling him.</p>
      <p>It could have been a very romantic and sexy moment for the couple, if only they were alone. All the other members of the family, including Hermione's parents arrived in the dining room at that moment, watching the display of affection between Ron and Hermione. Some smiled, others like Aunt Muriel disapproved, and still others like Harry and Ginny were watching with amusement and real happiness at the sight.</p>
      <p>"Ahem!" Arthur said, coughing loudly, but both Ron and Hermione ignored him, not really paying any attention to what was happening to the rest of the world. All they could focus on in that moment was the taste of each other's lips.</p>
      <p>Emma was watching her daughter with a disapproving look. "Hermione Granger, where are your manners?"</p>
      <p>This didn't go unnoticed by Hermione who broke the kiss abruptly and turned to see her surroundings. Although while she was kissing Ron, she was feeling like the two of them were the only people left in the world, the reality was far from that. She realized that twenty-four pairs of eyes were watching their "show," and all Hermione could think was that if embarrassment could kill a person, she was dead already.</p>
      <p>"Jeez… I was… it's not… oh, God… sorry, mum." Hermione apologized stammering, with a full red face, as she removed herself from Ron's embrace and sat down on her own chair.</p>
      <p>"Don't apologise, baby. Love is never something to be sorry about," her father said as he was genuinely smiling at the couple.</p>
      <p>"There are more appropriate ways for a young woman to show her love than public displays of affection, and definitely not in front of little kids."</p>
      <p>"We are cool with that," Adam and Peter said in unison raising their hands, earning some chuckles.</p>
      <p>"Those are our boys, Fred," George commented with a proud voice.</p>
      <p>"We sure gave them the right values in life," Fred added, as they gave each other a high five.</p>
      <p>"Okay, let's drop it and get ready for supper, what do you all say?" Molly said, not waiting for a response and nobody was crazy enough to do otherwise.</p>
      <p>Ron sighed in relief watching everyone take their places at the table and start talking about other topics, but he could still see that Hermione was mortified at what happened and was still looking at the floor. After all their years of friendship, one thing about Hermione that Ron knew really well was that she was always trying to avoid displeasing her mother. Hell, they even got themselves into this mess in the first place because of that.</p>
      <p>He reached over, intertwined his hand with hers, and gave hers a squeeze. Hesitantly, Hermione raised her head to look back at him. He smiled and leaned forward to give her a peck. "We are together now. Just hold my hand," he whispered softly into her ear.</p>
      <p>Hermione just stared at him, as he turned his attention to the full plate in front of him and started eating vigorously using only his one free hand. It was something as simple as holding her hand and yet, it took her breath away. She squeezed back and then she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.</p>
      <p>Both blushing and still holding hands, they started enjoying their dinner, with Ron using his right one and Hermione her left. Nobody seemed to pay attention to that though, except maybe Harry and Ginny who Ron saw from across the table grinning at them.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Hermione was already dressed and Ginny was at their room to help her with her make-up.</p>
      <p>"You know, Hermione, I didn't know you had it in you. You surprised me. Mounting my brother in front of everyone? Good job, girl."</p>
      <p>Hermione's face turned red in embarrassment. "I didn't… I wasn't trying to…" she lamely tried to excuse her actions.</p>
      <p>"Hermione, relax, I'm not you mother."</p>
      <p>
        <em>My mother! God, I can't believe that I've just embarrassed myself in front of my own mother! Why couldn't I control myself?</em>
      </p>
      <p>Hermione wanted to know if her behaviour was normal. It was the first time she was truly in love and she didn't know if losing control of your mind and body was a standard procedure.</p>
      <p>"Had this ever happened to you?"</p>
      <p>"Trying to shag Harry in front of my parents and Aunt Muriel? No, never," Ginny replied jokingly as she started fixing Hermione's hair, but Hermione didn't find it funny at all.</p>
      <p>"Hey, lighten up. It's not the end of the world. There's nothing wrong with what you did; your own father told you that," she told Hermione after she saw her expression.</p>
      <p>"Yes, but my mum-,"</p>
      <p>"Your mum was young too, Hermione. She did all the same things with you father, no doubt," Ginny said as a matter of fact.</p>
      <p>Of course, the last thing Hermione wanted was the mental image of her mother mounting her father and snogging his brains out. And speaking of her mother, that reminded her of something she was trying to ignore.</p>
      <p>"I just… there is something else," she quietly said. "She doesn't like Ron."</p>
      <p>"No freaking way!" Ginny exclaimed sarcastically. "Blimey, Hermione, I had no idea!"</p>
      <p>"It's funny to you, but I don't know what to do about it. She liked him neither as my friend nor as my boyfriend."</p>
      <p>"That's her problem, not yours," said Ginny shrugging.</p>
      <p>"It's my mother, Ginny!" Hermione cried. "Of course, it's my problem. Everybody from Ron's family, your family, is treating me like a Weasley, and look how my mother treats Ron. It's not fair. Sure, my father loves him, but my mother…" she sighed. "And Ron never did anything to her, Ginny. He's always nice and polite to her, but she never gave him a chance. Ever since she met him in the hospital when he apologised for the accident, she considered him as someone unworthy and someone I should stay away from."</p>
      <p>"So what?"</p>
      <p>Hermione sighed again as it was obvious that Ginny wasn't willing to take it seriously and understand her situation.</p>
      <p>"You don't think it's a little important for me, to want my mother to like the man I love?"</p>
      <p>"If your mother is not willing to accept Ron as your boyfriend, then she's going to have to suck it up."</p>
      <p>"I'm serious, Ginny."</p>
      <p>"No, Hermione. I think you must be joking because I can't take this conversation seriously," Ginny said in a serious tone for the first time. "We can't always please our parents, Hermione. At some point in our lives, we're going to fail them. It's the law of life, but if they really love us, then they must always want our happiness. If Ron makes you happy, then your mother must accept it and be happy for you."</p>
      <p>Ginny made it sound so simple, and she couldn't argue with her words. Yes, she would love to know that her mother liked Ron, but she wasn't willing to lose Ron just because her mother was too stubborn to give Ron a chance.</p>
      <p>"That's how I see it, anyways," Ginny finished, as she applied some red lipstick to Hermione's lips. "Now, are you ready to blow my brother's mind?" Ginny asked Hermione excitedly and Hermione couldn't help but smile too. "I wish I could be here when he sees you," she added and with a smile she left the room to get ready herself.</p>
      <p>Hermione stayed alone in the room, looking at herself in a small mirror. She never considered herself as pretty or sexy, but tonight she felt like she wasn't plain either. The dress was way too revealing, but that was originally the purpose of it. Now, since she and Ron were together, there was no need to try to seduce him, but she really did want to show Ron her sexy side.</p>
      <p>Her pulse was rising by the second, imagining that Ron would come back to the room and see her. It was going to be the first time he was going to see her dressed like this. So far, whenever they went out for a drink, she would wear something nice, but never sexy or provocative.</p>
      <p>She heard heavy footsteps coming closer to the room and got herself ready for Ron to see her.</p>
      <p>When Ron opened the door, Hermione saw that he was already dressed and was looking even hotter than the time she saw him go on the date with that Lavender girl. He stood in the doorway staring at her with his mouth open.</p>
      <p>"Fucking hot," he blurted out without being able to control his tongue. "No, I meant-"</p>
      <p>"Don't you dare take it back, Ron!" Hermione interrupted him passionately. "What you said was what I was aiming for."</p>
      <p>Still stunned by her appearance, he hesitantly walked towards her. "Are you trying to impress someone?"</p>
      <p>"Yes, I'm trying to impress a tall, daft, ginger, handsome Weasley," Hermione answered, feeling all the worry from the previous minutes vanish from Ron's reaction, and she started feeling very confident in herself now.</p>
      <p>"That does narrow down the possible candidates, but I know a bunch of guys with those characteristics," Ron teased her, wrapping his arms around her waist.</p>
      <p>"His nose is so long and full of freckles," Hermione said, staring at his nose and wrapping her arms around her neck.</p>
      <p>"That eliminates a few, but I'm still not sure who you're referring to," Ron said softly pulling her closer to his body.</p>
      <p>Hermione stood on her tiptoes and planted a soft kiss on his lips. "He's the guy I just kissed"</p>
      <p>"Lucky guy, he is," Ron whispered back never taking his eyes off hers too.</p>
      <p>Hermione stood once again on her tiptoes and kissed him again softly. "He better remember that often."</p>
      <p>"Wait!" Ron stopped suddenly, breaking the kiss and confusing Hermione. "Based on today's experience, something tells me that someone is going to interrupt us any moment now."</p>
      <p>Hermione smiled, but shook her head in disagreement. "We weren't about to do anything naughty right now, so I doubt it."</p>
      <p>"You want to test it?" he challenged her, raising an eyebrow.</p>
      <p>He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips at first that quickly turned into a full snog. The sound of someone knocking on the door broke them apart and they started giggling. It was like this house hated them being intimate for some reason.</p>
      <p>"Uncle Ron, it's me!" little Victoire's voice was heard from outside.</p>
      <p>Ron shushed Hermione and then he walked and stood behind the door. "Come in, Princess," he shouted with a mischievous grin on his face. The little girl came inside looking extremely happy, holding the camera they had given her as a Christmas present in her hands.</p>
      <p>Ron waited for her to walk inside and when she did, he grabbed her from behind and started tickling her belly.</p>
      <p>"No, don't tickle me! Please, Uncle Ron!" Victoire was screaming through her laughs.</p>
      <p>Hermione was looking adoringly at the scene in front of her. Ron was going to be a great dad for their children one day. Although the thought of a family should have scared her, since they were officially together less than 5 hours, it didn't.</p>
      <p>"Okay, I'll stop tickling you, but only if you say what you know I want to hear," Ron said to Victoire giving her a meaningful look.</p>
      <p>"Okay, okay, I will," Victoire promised. When Ron released his grip, the little girl started singing a familiar tune. "Weasley is our King! Weasley is our King! He doesn't let a goal in! Weasley is our King!"</p>
      <p>Hermione laughed and shook her head in amusement. "Seriously, Ron?"</p>
      <p>"Hey, she's the one who lost that bet last Christmas. She must do what I ask or else I tickle her, isn't that right, Princess?"</p>
      <p>"You placed a bet with a little child?"</p>
      <p>"Hey, I'm not a little child! I'm six!" Victoire protested sternly.</p>
      <p>"You heard her."</p>
      <p>"You're unbelievable," Hermione said with a disapproving nod at Ron as she shook her head.</p>
      <p>"In too many areas, I know that," said Ron mischievously, winking at her making sure Victoire didn't see him.</p>
      <p>Hermione ignored him and asked Victoire curiously, "What was that bet anyway, sweetie?"</p>
      <p>"He flipped a coin ten times. He told me <em>heads I win, tails you lose</em>. And I was too unlucky!"</p>
      <p>"I don't think Aunt Hermione wants to hear this story, Princess," Ron interrupted the talk, realizing he was busted.</p>
      <p>"You tricked your own niece?" Hermione asked Ron, half-stern, half-amused.</p>
      <p>"Wait… what?" said a confused Victoire.</p>
      <p>"Nothing, Princess. Tell me how your day was?"</p>
      <p>"What I mean, Victoire, is that your uncle Ron didn't win the bet. If you don't want him to tickle you, then he won't do it."</p>
      <p>"Is this true, Uncle Ron?" the little girl asked with her innocent voice.</p>
      <p>Ron nodded in defeat. "Yes, your Aunt Hermione is telling you the truth. And I promise you, I won't tickle you… too much," he said and started tickling her again.</p>
      <p>Hermione wanted to scold him for this, but she saw how happy Victoire was and she was sure that she was enjoying the tickling from her Uncle Ron. So, she just stood there watching them tenderly.</p>
      <p>"Now tell me, Princess, what do you want from your favourite uncle?"</p>
      <p>It took a few deep breaths for the girl to be in a state to answer properly. "I am going to every room and taking a photo of the couples. You are all dressed nicely and I wanted to take a photo of you and Aunt Hermione to put it in my album. Can I? Please?"</p>
      <p>Ron looked at Hermione. "What do you say, Aunt Hermione?"</p>
      <p>She knew he was teasing her by calling her an aunt, and she tried to hide her smile.</p>
      <p>"I should be mad at you and say no, but Victoire did nothing wrong and if she wants a photo, she deserves to have a photo," she said and Victoire made a silly victory dance, that made both Ron and Hermione chuckle with her cuteness.</p>
      <p>"Go and sit on the bed," Victoire ordered both of them.</p>
      <p>Ron and Hermione sat next to each other smiling at the camera. The click and the flash came a few seconds later and Victoire checked the camera for the result. It had to be good, judging by the smile that spread on her face.</p>
      <p>"And now you two kiss," she said again as she held the camera ready for the snapshot. Ron and Hermione smiled at her and then Ron leaned forward and they shared a light and sweet kiss. They both held back, knowing there was a child in the room after all.</p>
      <p>Victoire now had her photos and wished both of them to have fun tonight before Ron chased her in the hallway for one last tickling. He came back and seductively closed the door behind him. "Where were we?"</p>
      <p>Hermione walked slowly to him, also in a seductive way. But when she reached him and Ron bent down to kiss her, she turned around and instead grabbed her coat.</p>
      <p>"We were getting ready to go down and meet the others, I think," she said, and walked out of the room, leaving Ron cursing under his breath as he too grabbed his jacket and followed her.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>The music was very loud and there wasn't enough light anywhere, but on the dance floor. The temperature of the room was very hot as too many bodies were occupying the dance floor, dancing to the rhythm of the music. The main floor was packed with mostly teenage couples, as were the outer edges and the bar to their right. Luckily, the twins were good friends with the owner of the club, so they had a couple of reserved tables waiting for them.</p>
      <p>Angelina and Katie lost no time at all, dragging Fred and George onto the dance floor. To her surprise, Hermione saw that the twins were excellent dancers and they didn't try to pull something silly on their wives while dancing. Soon Harry, Ginny, Fleur and Bill followed suit and it was no shock that every male in the room stopped paying any attention to their dates, gaping at the French girl's beauty and sexiness.</p>
      <p>Hermione smiled watching how Fleur was fully aware that all the guys were looking at her longingly and all the girls were throwing deathly glares at her, but she ignored all of them having eyes only for Bill.</p>
      <p>Charlie and Audrey went together to dance a few rounds also, since Sofia was unable to dance due to her pregnant condition and Percy was… Percy.</p>
      <p>"Charlie sucks at dancing, but if he asks, please tell him that you were impressed by his skills," Sofia told Hermione who giggled. It was true watching Charlie that he was very clumsy with his feet when it came to dancing. Audrey's painful expressions every time he stumbled onto her feet were proof of that.</p>
      <p>"Poor, Audrey! I'm sure she would like nothing better than the song to end, so she could come sit down again," Hermione joked.</p>
      <p>"I don't blame her. First time I danced with Charlie I ended up with a fractured ankle," Sofia laughed and then she took a sip of her water.</p>
      <p>"I noticed you aren't drinking alcohol tonight, but why did you drink a few days ago at our poker game? Wasn't that bad for the baby?" Hermione asked Sofia since she had been wondering it since that night.</p>
      <p>Sofia shook her head. "It was water, Hermione. I had it in a very clean whiskey bottle, just to keep the illusion of the game. It's a tradition after all. I would never put my baby in any danger," she said tenderly, holding her pregnant belly gently.</p>
      <p>Hermione looked at Sofia's belly too and smiled softly. She hesitantly placed her hand there, waiting to sense a movement, but alas nothing.</p>
      <p>"Have you picked a name yet?"</p>
      <p>"Leonidas and we'll call him Leo. It's my father's name."</p>
      <p>"I love it. Like the old Greek King," Hermione said.</p>
      <p>"Oh, don't remind me. It's bad enough that every night Charlie is talking to the baby using quotes from the movie, <em>300</em>. I'm afraid that his first words are going to be <em>This is Sparta</em>!" Sofia joked, causing Hermione to chuckle.</p>
      <p>"Charlie is going to be a great dad," Hermione kindly said. "Just as long he won't be the one teaching your son how to dance."</p>
      <p>Both girls broke into giggles, but they stopped when Charlie and Audrey came back to their table.</p>
      <p>"Care to take a spin with me on the dance floor, Hermione?" Charlie asked outstretching his arm to her.</p>
      <p>"Not right now, maybe later," Hermione declined the offer politely, thinking that she couldn't afford to lose the ability to walk properly for a few days or to have her legs full of bruises.</p>
      <p>"She'll do it, when she accepts that having both of her legs functioning is overrated," Audrey muttered sarcastically, loud enough for Sofia and Hermione to hear her and all three girls burst out laughing.</p>
      <p>So far, the night was going great for Hermione. Sure, they had only been there for an hour and she hadn't had the chance to dance with Ron yet, but she was having so much fun with Sofia and the rest of the girls.</p>
      <p>A slow song started playing now, and Hermione saw a lot of couples on the dance floor holding each other, swaying lightly to the rhythm.</p>
      <p>This reminded her of the first night when they moved in together. Ron had taken her hands and led her to the living room that was full of unopened boxes. There, in a small free space they found, they danced with no music. It wasn't really a dance, but more like two people holding each other swaying a few inches from their spots. Still, after all this time, she remembered that moment as one of the most magical of her life.</p>
      <p>She stole a glance from Ron hoping that their eyes would meet and somehow he would know that she wanted to dance with him, but to her displeasure, he was talking with Percy and Charlie and seemed to have no interest in inviting her to dance.</p>
      <p>Sighing, she turned her attention back to the dance floor. From the corner of her eye, sitting at the bar, she saw a pair of green eyes glued to her. The guy was quite handsome and he reminded her of Viktor in appearance. He smiled at her and Hermione smiled back politely. She only hoped he wouldn't take it as an invitation for more. To her dismay though, he did.</p>
      <p>She saw him walking towards her having a confident look on his face. The distance between them was getting shorter and shorter very quickly.</p>
      <p><em>Oh, God, what am I going to do? Please don't make him ask me to dance! I only want to dance with Ron. Well, as soon as he stops talking with such an interest to Percy, that is. Please don't let him come! Please don't let him come! </em>Hermione pleaded mentally.</p>
      <p>But the guy was almost there and Hermione prepared herself for her reaction. Before this stranger had the chance to ask her to dance though, Hermione felt someone tugging her arm gently. It was Ron.</p>
      <p>"Come and dance," he simply stated.</p>
      <p>She was taken aback, but pleased too, and got up.</p>
      <p>Walking together to the dance floor, they passed the guy who had been walking towards her, and Ron shot him a deadly glare. Hermione smiled to herself realizing that Ron had gotten jealous.</p>
      <p>"You saw him, didn't you?" she asked raising an eyebrow, as they found enough space for them on the dance floor.</p>
      <p>"I'm not blind, Hermione. I saw that git coming to talk to you, with that stupid smug look on his face."</p>
      <p>"He didn't seem like a bad guy."</p>
      <p>"Well, if you like him that much, leave me and go to him," Ron challenged her.</p>
      <p>She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest swaying lightly to the slow pace of the music. "Never," she whispered.</p>
      <p>She had no idea how much time had passed. She was sure that they were dancing for quite some time since she remembered dancing a few more slow and a lot more, fast songs during their time on the dance floor. Also the fact that her legs were killing her were the proof of that.</p>
      <p>"Last dance and then we are off, okay?"</p>
      <p>She didn't want to go yet, but she was sure that they had stayed there a lot longer than what they had agreed on earlier. If this was their last dance there, she would give him something to remember and to take revenge for his mean teasing earlier that night.</p>
      <p>Luckily for her, the song had a slower, more sensual beat. She spun herself around and pressed up against him, her hips on his pelvis. She had her back pressed against his chest, and she grabbed his hands and placed them on her hips with her hands covering his as she swung in time with the beat.</p>
      <p>She kept swinging and rolling her hips provocatively for a few seconds, lifting her arms up and pushing her chest out. She noticed that Ron's hand had stayed paralyzed on the same spot she had left them and she knew she had surprised him with her behaviour.</p>
      <p>She looked at him over her shoulder and her suspicions were confirmed. Ron was just stunned and a small smile of victory appeared on her lips.</p>
      <p>She was aware that some of the other blokes in the club were now paying attention to her show, and although she felt a little embarrassed and somewhat mortified at the thought, she didn't care. Her dance was for Ron and only Ron.</p>
      <p>Although her plan was to tease and torture Ron to a point, she couldn't help but get excited by his touch too. His hands on her hips was something she'd experienced at that pool table in the playroom when she used that trick to seduce him and she felt again that burning desire for him. And funnily enough, she was reminded that one piece of Draco's advice was to do a sexy dance for Ron.</p>
      <p>She continued by hooking a hand up around his neck and him splaying a hand over her stomach, burying his face in her bushy hair. There was something very intimate about all this. It felt like there was nothing else around them…no couples dancing around them, no family waiting for them at the table, no club, no nothing… it was just them and slow music as the background for their moment.</p>
      <p>Hermione tilted her head back and closed her eyes. She was in Ron's arms and the feeling was so exhilarating. Even though she wanted much more intimacy, and much more skin to touch and feel, she'd settle for this for now. She made it that way, by making Ron promise her a date first.</p>
      <p>The song ended and it took them both a few moments to let go of each other, but reluctantly they did. Stealing a glance at him on their way back to the table, she saw him staring at her with lust and she smirked in triumph. After saying goodnight to the others, they headed home in Ron's car.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Ron was laying down on his bed underneath the quilts. The night was better than he thought it would be. He had some fun talks with Charlie, Harry, and even Percy. And he got to dance with Hermione, which was something he had been really excited about.</p>
      <p>And God, when he saw her, his mouth almost hit the floor. It was the most beautiful and sexy sight he had ever seen in his life. Not even the sight of Fleur dressed in a killer red mini dress with her shapely legs and luscious breasts out in the open managed to distract him from Hermione's presence.</p>
      <p>He could still feel the sensation of her body pressed to him as she was driving him mental with her dance. He had to give her credit for that. She got her revenge on him all right. He should have known better than to mess with her brilliant mind in the first place.</p>
      <p>His train of thought was interrupted when he felt Hermione coming from the bathroom and getting underneath the blankets, lying almost on top of him with her head resting on his chest. He wouldn't mind if she had slept with just her panties on, instead of her also wearing pajamas, but she looked hot either way.</p>
      <p>"It was really fun tonight, wasn't it?"</p>
      <p>"Yeah it was," said Ron truthfully, playing with the curls of her hair. "You are a great dancer."</p>
      <p>"Thank you. You are not so bad yourself either."</p>
      <p>"Let's just say I'm better than Charlie," Ron tried to joke and Hermione chuckled.</p>
      <p>"Everyone is a better dancer than Charlie."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, I reckon that's the truth," said Ron smiling.</p>
      <p>Hermione snuggled a little closer to him. "Ron, I think we should stop this teasing game we are playing with each other. It drives me crazy and it's quite silly if you think about it."</p>
      <p>"You started it," Ron protested.</p>
      <p>"And you took it to a whole new level! Do I need to remind you where your fingers were before we left for supper?"</p>
      <p>"Where were they? I don't remember," Ron teased her.</p>
      <p>Hermione raised her head and gave him a disapproving look. "Didn't we just say to stop this game?"</p>
      <p>"Sorry, I couldn't resist," Ron said with a little laugh, but Hermione kept staring at him with a serious look on her face. "Okay, fine. No more teasing and no more games, I promise," said Ron raising his hands in defeat.</p>
      <p>Hermione sighed seeing that Ron wasn't taking her seriously and she really wanted to make him see her point. "Ron, please try to understand me. I really do want to be with you like that, but I'm just afraid that if we rushed into the physical part, we might ruin what we have."</p>
      <p>Ron give what she said some thought, and then replied, "Do you really believe that what we have would be in jeopardy if we have sex?"</p>
      <p>Hermione raised her head and looked him in the eyes, and shook her head. "No, I don't really believe that, but look at us. We're barely a couple for eight hours and we already tortured each other by sexual teasing. That's not what I want, Ron."</p>
      <p>"I want our first time to be special and I want us to have a first date or even a second or a third date before sex, but not because I enjoy holding back my desire for you or because that's my way of having a laugh by teasing you, but because..."</p>
      <p>"What?" Ron urged her to continue while caressing her cheek.</p>
      <p>"I love you, Ron. I know that life is always unpredictable and we can't know what will happen. You know that I'm not the most romantic person, but I know how I feel about you and..." She paused for a moment taking a deep breath. "And I'd like to think that this is going to be the last time I'm going to have a first time. It'll be with you, and it's perfect and I want it to be special."</p>
      <p>Ron just stared at her. He hadn't thought of it like that. If he was honest with himself, he knew that this was going to be his last first time too. He wasn't planning on leaving Hermione now that he found her.</p>
      <p>"You must think I'm barmy," Hermione said nervously, lowering her gaze in embarrassment.</p>
      <p>"Yeah, most of the time I do, but not now," Ron said softly and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Let's get some sleep now, alright?"</p>
      <p>Hermione smiled at his reaction and gave him a goodnight peck on the lips. "You're right. We have a very important day ahead of us."</p>
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<a name="section0025"><h2>25. You're stuck with me</h2></a>
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      <p>Ron hated practices the day before a game because they were a lot more tiring and very boring. Two hours in the field, followed by three hours of analyzing video of the opponents and their tactics was too much for him.</p>
      <p>As a goalkeeper, he only had a few things to look over in the videos. Mostly it was to see what foot the opponent striker uses or if they play with crosses or with the ball down. But his part was over really quickly and for the rest of the time he had to pretend to watch the analysis of the rest of the squad.</p>
      <p>Next to him, Seamus let out a heavy puff of air. He too seemed ready to fall asleep. His part was over too. After all, strikers and goalkeepers had very clear instructions; goalkeepers must keep the ball off the net and the strikers must put the ball in the net. It was the defenders and midfielders that got the most out of this training method.</p>
      <p>"This is a pain in the hole, mate. I want to get out of here," Seamus whispered to him and sighed in boredom.</p>
      <p>"I feel you, my Irish friend," Ron agreed with a sigh. "I'm too fucking tired right now."</p>
      <p>"Tell me about it. I'm still knackered from last night. That bird was wild, but she was in another weight class. Her drawers were the size of Cork!"</p>
      <p>Ron chuckled but luckily not loud enough to draw attention to them. The last thing he wanted was Snape to lecture them once again. He always found it amusing the way Seamus would hit on every bird he laid his eyes on. "A little variety is never bad, right?"</p>
      <p>"Cheers to that," Seamus grinned. "What sucks is that to keep faith with my superstitions before a game, I need to score her again tonight."</p>
      <p>"Oh, yes!" Ron chuckled. "Same bird, twice in a row before a game, how could I forget?"</p>
      <p>"At such times, our superstitions are all we have. To not follow them is a crime against luck," Seamus firmly said.</p>
      <p>"No argument there, Seamus. I have a few of my own. I eat chocolate ice cream while I'm lying down on my bed, reading Sports Illustrated the night before. I take a bath first thing in the morning, but I don't wash my hair. I wear one red and one white sock underneath my football socks and I always enter the field with my left foot. That's all I suppose."</p>
      <p>"That's nothing, Ron. I'm doing everything the same way I did it the first time. Even when I'm taking a shit, I must do it exactly the same."</p>
      <p>"Blimey, I'd never thought of that, Seamus. That's genius!"</p>
      <p>Ron hadn't noticed before but he saw a local newspaper in Seamus' hands with a photo of their new teammate as it was rumored. He remembered what Harry had told him yesterday and judging by Seamus' behaviour during the training earlier where he didn't talk or joke with anyone, he thought he should ask him if he was okay with the news of the new transfer.</p>
      <p>"It seems like we're going to have a new teammate soon," he said and Seamus face changed all of a sudden and sighed.</p>
      <p>"Josh Preston. Another "talent" from the big clubs I need to beat," Seamus replied emphasizing the word <em>talent</em> in a mocking way.</p>
      <p>"Don't tell me that you're afraid that he's going to take you job, mate."</p>
      <p>Seamus snorted. "Quit joking, Weasley!"</p>
      <p>"Why the heavy sigh then?"</p>
      <p>"Because he's a fucking toddler and once again I'll have to play the tutor. You think you have it bad? Try to teach a virgin how to give the perfect blowjob; that's how hard it is."</p>
      <p>Ron laughed in silence and patted Seamus on the back.</p>
      <p>"They never listen to what I or anyone else is advising them. They think they'll come, teach us all the tricks they learned in their fancy academies, score a few goals and then they'll go back to their big clubs and play in the fucking Champions League."</p>
      <p>"Who's going to play in the Champions League?" Neville who was sitting behind them asked quietly, joining the conversation.</p>
      <p>"Not you, for sure," Seamus retorted.</p>
      <p>"Piss off."</p>
      <p>"Nice remark. Your lady taught you that language?"</p>
      <p>"No, your mother."</p>
      <p>Ron watched his two friends, trying to hide his smile. It was always like this with the two of them but he knew that no matter what, in their own twisted way, they were great friends with each other.</p>
      <p>"Do you want to add something, Mr. Finnegan? Or perhaps you, Mr. Longbottom?" Snape said angrily, causing them to apologise to him and return their attention to the video analysis, or that's what they pretended to do anyway.</p>
      <p>Ron slumped back in his chair too, not a bit surprised that his mind wandered once again to Hermione. She was his beautiful escape and thinking about her made everything tolerable.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Hermione was accustomed to dealing with mostly males in her line of work and she knew how to handle them. She wasn't cocky or full of herself. She just had faith in her abilities.</p>
      <p>The three men in the room representing the club made the same mistake everyone did when they met her. They thought of her as a sweet little girl that could easily be beaten, but like everyone else in the past, they too were proven wrong and realised that she wasn't that sweet after all.</p>
      <p>Gary Owen in particular was exactly as Ron described him, so Hermione knew what to expect and she came prepared. It wasn't going to be easy, but if there was one thing she was proud of about her work, it was that she was unbeaten. And she wasn't planning on losing that record anytime soon.</p>
      <p>She presented a counter proposal that was designed based on the contracts of all the other first-rate players. Hermione originally had planned to negotiate only the automatic termination term, until she read the numbers of all the contracts of the team. After doing that research, she was surprised to discover that even with the new contract, Ron would be among the lowest earners of the team…lower than the substitute midfielder than never played!</p>
      <p>That's why Hermione entered the meeting room today more determined to win a lot more for Ron. She used all the right numbers and she knew exactly what buttons to push every time. Ron gave her permission to do anything she wanted regardless of the result and she wasn't going to fail him.</p>
      <p>"Ms. Granger, I insist you be more reasonable. Your demands are nowhere near our original offer," Gary exclaimed after he read and reread Hermione's proposal for Ron's new contract.</p>
      <p>"You offered my client a contract. We feel that we can't reach an agreement under those terms, so this is our counter proposal," said Hermione with her most professional attitude.</p>
      <p>"You practically demand us to double our offer!"</p>
      <p>"That's because your initial offer is nowhere near my client's demands," Hermione answered mimicking him and his previous words.</p>
      <p>This seemed to anger Gary more. "I need to remind you, Ms. Granger that our offer to your client is more than generous and there is a significant increase of 50% of his current contract."</p>
      <p>"And I need to remind you, Mr. Owen, that my client has the right to accept, refuse or negotiate this offer. Based on the numbers we see, we are not satisfied and unless you are ready to negotiate, I'm afraid we can't reach an agreement," replied Hermione showing clearly that she was there to play hardball.</p>
      <p>Gary realised that very soon, so he turned his attention to Ron in an attempt to scare him. "Mr. Weasley, let's be realistic. You are the second in line goalkeeper of this team. We both know that as soon as Mr. Zabini recovers from his injury, he's going to be our first goalkeeper and you'll be on the bench again. How can you demand almost the same contract as him?"</p>
      <p>Ron made a fist under the table, but to Hermione's surprise, he managed not to show any anger. "Weren't you the one that two days ago told me that the team values my abilities and you want to secure that I'm going to continue being a Millwall player?"</p>
      <p>"That doesn't mean that we value your abilities more than other players or Mr. Zabini in your case."</p>
      <p>Hermione thought for a moment that Ron was going to jump on the table, grab that wanker and punch his stupid face, but she gently placed a hand over his clenched fist and that was enough to cool him down. He looked at her and she mouthed <em>don't</em> to him.</p>
      <p>His fist was gone and the blood could once again flood to his fingers. Hermione knew she was right. Ron wouldn't win anything if he attacked Gary besides temporary satisfaction.</p>
      <p>"If you really believe that, then you can just ignore our proposal, let me finish the season and be out of contract in the summer. I'm not forcing you to accept my demands. I'm just telling you what I want," Ron said to Gary in a very calm tone, as calm as he could muster anyway.</p>
      <p>"And I would like to remind you, Mr. Owen, that I am the only one who can say whose abilities are more valuable in this team and no one else," Coach Snape intervened much to Ron's and mainly to Hermione's pleasure. Surely having the support of the coach was a great bargaining chip.</p>
      <p>She looked at Gary who was looking at Snape with anger in his face. She was sure now that since it was obvious that he couldn't change their minds, and since Coach Snape decided to open his mouth and ruin a potential threat that he could use to make Ron sign those papers, it was game over for Gary.</p>
      <p>"Listen, Mr. Weasley-," Gary began one more attempt to change Ron's mind but one of the other board members that was there, the oldest one, signaled him to stop.</p>
      <p>He then turned to Hermione and Ron. "Would you mind waiting outside so we can have a quick meeting with Mr. Owen?"</p>
      <p>Hermione wasn't surprised by this at all. For years, she was at meetings with clients and she could always tell when they were defeated. "Of course," she said and walked away and Ron followed her closing the door behind him.</p>
      <p>"They're going to agree, trust me," she whispered into his ear when they were out of the room before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek without anyone seeing them.</p>
      <p>Hermione's confident words came true a little later when they were called back inside the office.</p>
      <p>"I suppose we can find some solution to work for all of us," Gary said, clearly in distaste, but Ron and Hermione couldn't care less as they both felt relief and simultaneously they intertwined their hands under the table. They had won.</p>
      <p>It has been almost an hour of hard negotiation in which Hermione made sure that she wasn't going to leave the room before every single demand she had prepared had been granted. When all the details were ready, the contract was signed. Hermione really managed to give Ron almost double the original offer and to erase the clause that allowed Millwall to terminate Ron's contract if he didn't play enough games.</p>
      <p>They were getting up and ready to leave when Gary spoke to him.</p>
      <p>"Before you leave, I must inform you that we received a loan offer for you, Mr. Weasley, from Newcastle United. They were impressed by your recent performance when you played against them last month and they asked for your services until the end of the season. As a board, we rejected this offer. Have a nice day," he simply said, but with an obvious satisfaction in his voice and a smirk on his face; he took enjoyment in having told Ron that he rejected an offer from a Premier League club, most likely as a twisted payback.</p>
      <p>Ron was stunned. He had no idea that one of the "big clubs" would ever be interested in signing him and he honestly didn't know how to feel about it. He knew for sure what he felt about the board's decision though. "Why you didn't tell me about it before you rejected it?" he demanded to know.</p>
      <p>"It wasn't your decision to make. Only the board has a say regarding loan offers, not the players. Again, have a nice day," Gary waved them away showing clearly that this discussion was over.</p>
      <p>Ron wanted to smash his face but Hermione grabbed him by the elbow, practically dragging him outside. They walked together to the car, Ron still furious, calling Gary and the board all sorts of foul names.</p>
      <p>Inside the car, Hermione didn't speak. She was too shocked about the offer too, but for a different reason. Ron could leave London and… her. It was so easy. Just the right offer at the right time and Ron would leave.</p>
      <p>And what would she do? What was going to happen to them if Ron had to leave for another city or country? Was she supposed to go with him? Was she supposed to stay back and wait for him? Was he going to even consider her if he got an offer? Could an offer like this end their relationship before it even began?</p>
      <p>The thought scared her far more than she would ever admit. For the first time in her life – and something inside her was telling her for the last time too – she was in love. She was in love with a man she couldn't live without. But what if she had to? What if she had to live without Ron?</p>
      <p>
        <em>No.</em>
      </p>
      <p>"I mean, can they even do that, Hermione?" she suddenly realised that Ron had stopped swearing about a bunch of guys she never heard of before and now was talking to her.</p>
      <p>She tried not to show what her emotions were at the moment and replied calmly. "There is nothing stopping them. Don't feel bad though. You just got yourself a new contract," she reminded him. "And besides, why leave now that you have a place in the starting line-up to become second in line again in Newcastle?"</p>
      <p>"I'm not saying that I would accept the offer, Hermione." At this, Hermione felt relief that didn't last long. "I probably would though; I'm not going to lie."</p>
      <p>Hermione stopped breathing. She felt this was some kind of torture. "You-you would?"</p>
      <p>"That is the Premier League we are talking about, Hermione. I'd have to be crazy to reject the opportunity to play there even as a second in line goalkeeper."</p>
      <p>"Yes… crazy," Hermione whispered mostly to herself as she turned her gaze outside her window and away from Ron. "Can you just let it go for now and drive us back to the Burrow. It's getting late."</p>
      <p>Ron didn't say anything. He simply started the engine and drove away. His mood was angry throughout the whole ride back home never uttering a word and for that, Hermione was grateful. She wasn't in any state to have a talk with Ron at the moment while her mind refused to think of everything other than the vague possibility of Ron going away.</p>
      <p>Despite the countless dark thoughts that were troubling her mind, Hermione decided to let it go for the time being. When they arrived home, she went straight to her parents' room for some distraction. Ever since they had arrived in the Burrow, she hadn't had much time to talk with her parents and see if they were having a good time or if they needed anything. She found only her mum in the room who was resting after a walk to the local shops with Molly.</p>
      <p>She went and lied down next to her in bed giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Hi, mum. Molly told me in the morning that you two were going shopping. How was it? Did you two have fun?"</p>
      <p>Emma smiled at her daughter and gave her a hug. "Yes, I wanted to buy a few things as souvenirs and Molly knew exactly where to go. Honestly, she's a great and smart woman. I can't say we have a lot in common, but there is a lot more to her than just being a housewife."</p>
      <p>Hermione smiled. She was very glad that her mother was having a good time with Ron's mother, especially after she could see how well Arthur and her dad hit it off.</p>
      <p>"Dad is off again with Arthur?"</p>
      <p>"Your father is always off with Arthur. I think I'll have to drag him back home kicking and screaming when the holidays are over," she joked and Hermione chuckled.</p>
      <p>She loved those rare days where she and her mum were having a laugh and spending time together. It was certainly better than the dreadful feeling of tension when her mom caught her mounting Ron at the dining table.</p>
      <p>"I'm sorry, mum. About yesterday at dinner, I mean," she apologised, blushing like a tomato.</p>
      <p>Emma placed her hand on Hermione's hand and gave a light squeeze. "There is nothing to be sorry about, sweetie. Your father was right; I just overreacted," she reassured Hermione who felt a little better after this. "Where were you by the way?"</p>
      <p>"I went by the house to see if everything was in its place and then I accompanied Ron to a meeting about his new contract as his lawyer."</p>
      <p>What she didn't mention was that she also stopped by a lingerie shop and spent more than an hour there trying to find the perfect set for what she was planning. A devilish smirk appeared on her flushed face at the thought, but she shook it off quickly, not wanting her mother to notice anything.</p>
      <p>"Oh, how did it go?" she heard her mother asking her in fake curiosity.</p>
      <p>"It went great!" Hermione announced in enthusiasm. "With my help, he got a better contract," she added proudly.</p>
      <p>"Good for him then, that you were by his side."</p>
      <p>Hermione blushed at her mother's comment. "Are you coming to the game tomorrow?"</p>
      <p>"Your father insists, so we'll be there," said Emma with a grimace.</p>
      <p>Hermione didn't like the sound of that. "Does that mean that if dad didn't want to, you wouldn't come?"</p>
      <p>"You know I'm not a sports fan, Hermione."</p>
      <p>Now Hermione knew that the wise thing to do was to listen to that little voice inside her head screaming at her that she shouldn't ask what she was about to ask. But Hermione decided to be honest with herself and realized that the little voice meant nothing as she got tired of her mother's attitude; instead it was time for her mom to tell the truth.</p>
      <p>"You're not a sports fan or you're not a Ron fan?"</p>
      <p>Her mother obviously wasn't expecting this and she decided to not answer and just shrug. She was surprised when Hermione asked her again. "Careful, sweetie. Don't try to make me the bad guy here."</p>
      <p>"Oh, so you deny that you don't like him?" Hermione challenged her. It was obvious that Hermione wanted answers and she was going to get them whether Emma Granger wanted or not.</p>
      <p>"It doesn't matter if I like Ron or not. It's you that lives with him and is in a relationship with him. I'm here to be the parent and protect you from any harm."</p>
      <p>Typical thing of her mother to say. She was always like this. Never saying what she really believed but only what she thought others would like to hear.</p>
      <p>She felt her eyes watering. She was already in an emotional state after what happened earlier and when she felt she had enough of her mother, she knew she needed to respond. "You don't have to protect me because Ron doesn't hurt me. It's the way you look at him almost despising him that's hurting me," Hermione cried.</p>
      <p>"I'll try to act better around him, alright?"</p>
      <p>"You'll try? Why do you need to try, mum? What could Ron have possible done not to deserve your respect and love?"</p>
      <p>"Hermione, I never objected to your relationship with Ron. In fact, I remember proposing to you to hold an engagement party on New Year's, but you refused. Isn't that enough proof that I support this relationship?"</p>
      <p>"Oh please, mum! You're anything but supportive. Molly is treating me as her daughter and everyone here is making me feel like I'm a member of the Weasley family, and look at you! For God knows what reason, you treat the man I love as someone unworthy and I'm sick of it," Hermione shouted. "So you are going to tell me what-,"</p>
      <p>"He almost killed you!" Emma snapped not letting Hermione finish her sentence. "There, I said it!"</p>
      <p>Hermione was taken aback by her mother's outburst. It wasn't so much what she said but that in a matter of seconds she saw her mother shaking in tears like this was too painful for her.</p>
      <p>"Like you said, I'm not Molly. Unlike Molly, I only have one child to love and do everything I can to protect her," Emma said wiping away some of her tears.</p>
      <p>"Mum, that was five years ago."</p>
      <p>"When they called me that day to inform me about the accident, I went hysterical. I ran out the door and I kept running to the hospital. I was 200 yards away from home when I realised how stupid I was for thinking that I could run 15 miles and came back to take the car. All I could think was that my baby girl was in danger."</p>
      <p>Hermione felt her own tears on her cheek and she quickly pulled her mother into a tight embrace, hearing her mother's perspective of that day for the first time.</p>
      <p>"Maybe I don't show it with hugs and affection as often as other mothers, Hermione, but I love my child. I love you, Hermione, and losing you is not one of the things I can survive," said Emma with her lower lip trembling in silent sobs.</p>
      <p>"I love you too, mum," said Hermione hugging her more and more tightly. She wondered how long it must have been since the last time she heard her mother say those words or when was the last time she said those words to her mother.</p>
      <p>"I couldn't stand the thought of you being… being-" Emma choked unable to voice her worst fear.</p>
      <p>Hermione had no idea that her mother felt like this for so long. She just assumed that her dislike for Ron was because he somehow took her away from home when she left to live with him. She was so wrong.</p>
      <p>"When I went to the hospital and the police there told me how the accident happened, I wanted to burst inside Ron's room and smash his head with everything I could find. I actually entered his room, only to find him still unconscious. I was watching his sleeping face and this somehow made me angrier. I was thinking that he was mocking me…that he almost killed my little girl and he was sleeping without regrets or guilt."</p>
      <p>Hermione decided not to interrupt her mother. She could tell how important it was to let her get this off her chest. She would just hold her until she was finished.</p>
      <p>"I know I don't make sense, Hermione, but in the state I was, nothing made sense to me either," Emma said with a sniff. "I left the room and I was planning to wait for him to wake up so I could tell him exactly what I thought of him. Unfortunately, the next time I saw him, he was sitting in a chair next to your bed. You two were talking and laughing and I couldn't believe it! Next thing I know, you are starting to spend all your time with him and before I knew it, you decide to move in with him!"</p>
      <p>Emma broke off the hug to look Hermione in the eyes like she was about to say something very important and needed her daughter's full attention.</p>
      <p>"To this day, I haven't told him what his stupidity almost cost me that day. I swallowed everything from that day on, Hermione. So, don't tell me that I need to try to be nice to him. I try because every time I look at him, I see you in that hospital bed and I just can't…"</p>
      <p>Her sobs covered the rest of her sentence but Hermione didn't really need to hear those words. She understood how painful it must have been for her mother. She hated herself for thinking that her mother simply disliked Ron for no reason.</p>
      <p>However, she couldn't agree though with her decision of treating Ron like this. If she really felt this way for so long, it was her fault for not saying something. She should have confronted Ron and given him a chance to apologise if needed. No, her mother was totally wrong in this.</p>
      <p>"But mum, I didn't die. It's unfair to Ron to be treated like this because of what could have happened, can't you see that?"</p>
      <p>"I know! I know, Hermione."</p>
      <p>"Mum, you have to let it go," she pleaded in a whisper.</p>
      <p>"I'm trying, sweetie. You have no idea how much I'm trying."</p>
      <p>"Try to think of it this way, mum. Before I met Ron, I was miserable. Afterwards, I was happy. Maybe everything happened for a reason; it was fate for Ron and me to meet."</p>
      <p>Emma's stared deeply into Hermione's brown eyes and Hermione wondered if she was somehow searching to find crumbs of doubts behind them. "Do you really love him, Hermione?"</p>
      <p>It was the first time her mother asked her this question. She never asked her that question in the two years that she "supposedly" had a relationship with Ron. All she could do was nod.</p>
      <p>"Does he really make you happy?"</p>
      <p>Hermione nodded again.</p>
      <p>"Then I guess I can cut him some slack," Emma joked causing both women to laugh.</p>
      <p>Hermione felt tears of happiness washing her cheeks as she hugged her mother again. She always wanted her mum by her side to support her with Ron and now she had the hope that she'd have that.</p>
      <p>"Thank you, mum! I love you so much," she kissed her mum before she made a move to walk out of the room. She stood for a moment before leaving. "Mum, you should talk to Ron and tell him everything. He'll understand."</p>
      <p>"I will, sweetie," smiled Emma at her daughter. With an even bigger smile on her face, Hermione left the room.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Ron was still angry about what happened in the meeting. He couldn't tell if he felt angry because he didn't go to Newcastle or because they didn't inform him about the offer before they rejected it.</p>
      <p>The dream of playing in the Premier League wasn't that far though. Millwall was on the top of the division and they were close to promotion. So, it couldn't be that.</p>
      <p>Was it that they didn't inform him? Perhaps, but he shouldn't expect better. They offered him a contract with a two-day deadline for Christ's sake! Why would they treat him better this time?</p>
      <p>He knew that this internal train of thought was a dead end and he stopped debating about it after a while. He wanted a distraction or something to take his mind off it. Unfortunately for him, Harry and his brothers left after dinner; they had gone to help with the set-up of the fireworks for tomorrow's festival and left him behind to get some rest that he really needed for his game tomorrow. Luckily, Walter was in the playroom and Ron decided to have a chat with him to pass the time.</p>
      <p>"You were off again today with my dad? My mum will start to get suspicious, Walter," Ron joked taking a seat next to him.</p>
      <p>Walter laughed. "Arthur and I have a lot in common, Ron. It's been so long since I had a best friend."</p>
      <p>The honesty and excitement in his voice pleased Ron. He knew that his father felt the same about Walter. "I'm glad for this, because my father wanted a best friend too. Lately he only had Hagrid who is a great guy, but he's not very articulate as I'm sure you've noticed."</p>
      <p>"Yes, that's true. I hardly understand half of what he says."</p>
      <p>"Everybody understands just half of what he says," Ron laughed.</p>
      <p>"Hermione told me today you had a meeting about a new contract. How did it go?"</p>
      <p>Ron placed a hand on Walter's shoulder. "Walter, I'm sure you already know it, but your daughter is amazing. She managed to get me a contract that was double the original offer."</p>
      <p>A proud look formed on Walter's face. "She did? That's great! Congratulations to both of you."</p>
      <p>Ron couldn't help but feel proud of Hermione too. She was so brilliant today, beating that tosser. Plus, she was so Goddamn sexy, dressed in her lawyer suit, that again the thought of shagging her right there on the table crossed his mind a few times.</p>
      <p><em>Don't think about that in front of her father, you twat!</em> He cursed himself. He quickly shrugged the thought away.</p>
      <p>"Thanks, Walter. That's one thing less to worry about now."</p>
      <p>Arthur came to the living room with a cup of tea in his hand, taking a seat next to Ron. "Hey son, are you ready for the game tomorrow?"</p>
      <p>
        <em>Why do they keep asking me if I'm ready. Of course I'm ready. It's my bloody job to be bloody ready. It was even more important when I was on the bench, because the call to play could happen at any time. But, when I was on the bench, nobody from the family even called to ask me if I was ready or how I felt. Well except, Ginny and the twins; they were always there.</em>
      </p>
      <p>He gave his father though a different answer. "You can never be completely ready, dad. You just practice and prepare and hope you're up for the challenge."</p>
      <p>"I'm sure you'll do great," his father patted him affectionally on the back. "And if you don't... well, bad days happen to all of us."</p>
      <p>Ron wanted to pretend that it didn't mean that much to him but he couldn't ignore the warm feeling that pat caused him. He realized that he didn't need his parents' support to make it. He followed his dreams, despite them telling him to follow a different path. If he had listened to them, he would now be in a high position at the factory, probably married to one of those candidates his mum forced him to date throughout the years.</p>
      <p>Still though, just because he didn't need their support and encouragement, didn't mean he didn't want it. And a simple pat on the back was a huge boost of confidence for Ron, even though he wouldn't admit that to his father.</p>
      <p>"It's going to be great to see you playing, Ron. It's been so long since I attended a football game," Walter said in excitement.</p>
      <p>"You mean since you met Emma, right?"</p>
      <p>"You'd be surprised, but I went with Emma to a football game on our three month anniversary. I wanted to show her my world."</p>
      <p>"And she hated it so much and now I'm paying the consequences? Thanks, Walter," he joked in sarcasm.</p>
      <p>"It wasn't that bad. As far as I remember, we had a nice time that day. She even cheered a couple of times and sang the team's chants along with the rest of the fans."</p>
      <p>Now this was something that Ron would pay to see! "Are you sure she wasn't drunk?"</p>
      <p>Walter shook his head knowingly. "Trust me, Ron. Tomorrow she'll be there and we're going to have a great time. Emma will change her mind about football and sports and she's going to cheer you on."</p>
      <p><em>Yes, I'm sure that will happen. And then we all going to hug, hold hands, and bond by singing Kumbaya</em>, Ron thought in sarcasm.</p>
      <p>"You know what I just thought of, Arthur? We should buy some Millwall jerseys to wear to the game," Walter suggested and Arthur agreed with great enthusiasm.</p>
      <p>"Excellent idea, Walter! And it would be nice to buy some hats or scarves for the wives," Arthur suggested just as excited.</p>
      <p>The two men started talking animatedly and after a while, Ron got bored so he feigned a yawn and bid them goodnight.</p>
      <p>Before going up to his room though, he stopped by the kitchen to serve himself some ice cream like he always did the day before a game. Or perhaps he was just stalling his arrival to his room knowing that Hermione would probably be waiting for him, lying down in their bed. The thing was that he couldn't bring himself to focus on anything other than her. His only thought was about Hermione.</p>
      <p>Well, her and the chocolate ice cream he was eating right now. Truth be told, sometimes Hermione covered in chocolate ice cream. The latter seemed more enjoyable if he was honest.</p>
      <p>He ran a hand through his hair and sighed at the thought. He barely slept last night thinking that right next to him was the object of his desire. And no matter how hard he tried to convince his cock to calm down, it seemed to have a mind of its own.</p>
      <p>He wanked twice during the night, but it wasn't nearly enough. Every time he would come back from the loo, he would catch a glimpse of Hermione's body underneath that thick fabric of her pajamas, and it would torture him to no end.</p>
      <p>He felt like he was 12 years old all over again discovering self-pleasure. He just couldn't take his mind off it. He wanted that body. He wanted to rip Hermione's clothes off and ravish her on his childhood bed and have her moans of pleasure wake up everyone in the Burrow. Was this too much to ask?</p>
      <p>Well, he probably could do without the last part, but he had no idea how he would manage to sleep another night in the same bed with her and behave like a gentleman. He strongly considered asking Hermione to sleep in one of the other rooms for the remaining nights until they got back to their flat, but he shrugged the thought immediately off.</p>
      <p>Even without being able to be as intimate with Hermione as he wanted, he knew that he wasn't going to sleep well without her body wrapped in his, her head on his chest, her wild bushy hair tickling his nose and the sound of her light snoring filling the room.</p>
      <p><em>Just take the bloody ice cream, read some fucking magazine, and stop thinking about Hermione, you silly ponce! You have a game tomorrow!</em> Ron ordered himself and with a heavy sigh he picked up his ice cream and headed to his room, which to his surprise was empty.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>It was later than she used to go to bed these days. Having to wake up so soon to go with Ron to London had affected Hermione's sleep habits a bit. She wasn't sleepy now though. After her talk with her mum and dinner, she spent some time with the girls and later she found her dad in the living room and had a chat with him, not very loud though to avoid any possible snide remark from Aunt Muriel who didn't even hide the fact that she was eavesdropping.</p>
      <p>Her dad told her how proud he was of her after Ron told him about his contract, how excited he was to see Ron playing and how much he missed going to football games instead of watching them on the telly.</p>
      <p>They didn't talk too long because Walter was tired, but he asked her if he could see her tomorrow in private to talk about something. He didn't say what and that filled Hermione with curiosity. But soon her mind started drifting away to the redhead who was waiting in their room.</p>
      <p>Her walk to the room was slow. Too slow actually, wishing that by the time she would reach the bedroom door Ron would somehow be asleep. She didn't want him awake. She couldn't shake the dark thoughts out of her mind after Gary told them about that loan offer and especially Ron's reaction. It was evident that Ron wanted that transfer and she wanted to confront him, but she was too scared of his answer.</p>
      <p>
        <em>What if he tells me that he wants to leave Millwall, London,… me?</em>
      </p>
      <p>Every thought inside her mind though vanished the moment she caught sight of Ron. He was lying down on the bed with his back resting on the headboard, wearing only his boxers, eating a bowl of ice cream while reading something that looked like a sports magazine.</p>
      <p>Standing in the doorway, she was contemplating whether she should walk inside or keep admiring the view. She had never imagined when she joked to him four years ago that he shouldn't wear a shirt while he eats ice cream because he was such a sloppy eater, that Ron would take her advice to heart. After that day, Ron always ate ice cream, naked from the waist up and tonight was no exception. What made it more unbearable was that Ron had failed to notice that some of the ice cream had dropped from his chin, forming a thin dark chocolate line down his chest.</p>
      <p><em>Desire, horniness, longing</em>… call it whatever you wanted, but she wanted to lick that line desperately. It was clear that she couldn't control herself anymore. She thought that it wouldn't matter if they waited a little, at least until they had a proper first date, but even that was beginning to prove an impossible task.</p>
      <p>But she had to try. The young Hermione inside her deserved it. She never lived her teenage romance like most of the girls at that age and she had no choice but to drag Ron into this. She loved him even more after he acted so understanding and decided to wait and fulfill her silly dream.</p>
      <p>She wasn't naïve to believe that Ron wasn't thinking about sex. He wasn't the most discreet person when it came to that. She caught him gazing at her lustfully all the time and his prick in full erection every time she was close to him, was a huge giveaway. Oh yes, she did notice that!</p>
      <p>The thought made her want to jump Ron but instead she compromised with licking her lips at the sight of him and taking a few deep breaths that helped her ease the pleasant ache between her legs.</p>
      <p>"Enjoying the view, are you?" she heard Ron teasing her as he had apparently sensed her presence. "I can tell you that up close I'm a lot more shaggable."</p>
      <p>She blushed a little that she was busted staring at him but bravely walked to the bed and snuggled into his arms. <em>Oh, those arms</em>, she thought dreamily at the touch. She pecked him on the lips and then he kissed her softly on the nose, before taking another mouthful of his ice cream.</p>
      <p>"Is it really wise to eat ice cream so late?"</p>
      <p>"Yhou wand swome," he slurred, with a mouth full of ice cream.</p>
      <p>"So handsome," she teased him.</p>
      <p>"No need to state the obvious, darling," Ron said wiping his mouth.</p>
      <p>"And modest too," Hermione slapped his hand playfully when he tried to feed her.</p>
      <p>"Yes, I am the full package."</p>
      <p>She smiled and let Ron feed her a few spoonfuls. She couldn't help but agree with Ron's decision. Winter or not, this ice cream was the perfect dessert before sleep. Or maybe being fed by Ron made it ten times tastier; she couldn't be sure which.</p>
      <p>She kept staring at him while Ron kept his stare focused on that magazine. She loved doing this even before she developed feelings for him. It always fascinated her whenever Ron was reading something with great interest. He wasn't someone who would normally read a book by choice, but there were some rare times like this one that he'd find something interesting – interesting without involving naked women that is – and then he'd read it with great focus. Back then, she wouldn't have been able to find the proper word but now she could. It was <em>sexy</em>.</p>
      <p>
        <em>I must be crazy. What kind of girl thinks that reading is sexy?</em>
      </p>
      <p>"What are you reading?" she asked trying to sound as casual as she could.</p>
      <p>"There is an interesting article about doping."</p>
      <p>"I hope it's about the negative effects and not how to use it," she tried to joke unsuccessfully, but Ron smiled anyway. She wasn't the funny one and she knew it, but even so it always felt good when she managed to make Ron laugh with her.</p>
      <p>"You seem calmer now. I guess you're not mad anymore about what happened with that loan offer, right?" she couldn't help herself but bring up this conversation topic. She bit her tongue and cursed herself mentally for that. Here she was in his arms and once again she was ready to kill the mood.</p>
      <p>"No, I'm still mad about it."</p>
      <p>She had already regretted bringing this up again, but since she started it there was no turning back. She had to know. "Ron, I want to ask you something. We talked about it a bit in the car actually. It's about the loan offer you had from Newcastle. Well, it made me wonder… if you're going to go after a bigger team in another city or country if an offer comes in the future."</p>
      <p>Ron put his magazine aside. "I don't know, Hermione; I really don't. I was surprised when they told me and truthfully I don't know how I feel about it. I mean at first I was, and still am by the way, angry, but… I don't know. Maybe this wasn't my big chance after all."</p>
      <p>There was some sadness behind those words and Hermione wondered just how much what had happened bothered Ron.</p>
      <p>"That didn't answer my question, Ron. Would you accept an offer away from London?"</p>
      <p>"Hermione, this is my job. If the best offer is from a team miles away from London or from a foreign club then I'm not going to reject it just because of the distance. I'm not saying I fancy the idea of moving away from London, but I won't just shrug without first considering what's best for me. I have ambitions you know," Ron answered truthfully.</p>
      <p>It was only logical to think this way. He was a professional after all and Hermione wasn't surprised by his attitude. "I didn't mean it that way, Ron. I just… what I'm trying to ask is…What about m-your family?"</p>
      <p>Ron arched an eyebrow in confusion. "What about them?"</p>
      <p>"How would your mother feel if you moved to another country?"</p>
      <p>"Charlie lives in Greece and she's cool with it."</p>
      <p>Hermione rolled her eyes at this. "Charlie and Sofia come here twice a month; that's why your mum is <em>cool</em> with it. She practically sees them more often that she sees you and you live two hours away."</p>
      <p>"Well then maybe that's what I need to do. Move to another country and visit my parents more often too."</p>
      <p>"You can't be serious!"</p>
      <p>"Obviously, I'm not Hermione. What's wrong with you today?"</p>
      <p>"Nothing, I'm… I'm just…," she paused not knowing how to put her fears into words. Taking the time to look at her, Ron was able to read her expression perfectly though.</p>
      <p>"Hermione, is this about my family or you? Are you afraid that I'll leave you?"</p>
      <p>"Why wouldn't I feel afraid of that, Ron?" she snapped. "If the board today had accepted the offer from Newcastle, you would be packing right now to go 300 miles away! Now of all times! Now that… now that we're finally together," her broken voice was a clear indication of how much it pained her to even think about the possibility.</p>
      <p>"Hermione, why are we even talking about something that didn't happen? I won't go to Newcastle or anywhere for that matter. You were there with me today when I signed a new 3-year contract with Millwall. Isn't that enough proof that I'm staying where I am?"</p>
      <p>"But look at you, Ron! You are sad and angry. You wanted to go to Newcastle; don't deny it."</p>
      <p>"I'm not angry because I didn't go to Newcastle, Hermione. I'm angry because they rejected the offer without telling me first."</p>
      <p>Hermione was ready to make a comment but Ron cut her off before she had the chance to utter a word.</p>
      <p>"And I'm not sad, Hermione. I just know how easy it is never to have the chance to play at the top level. If we keep winning then next year we'll play in the Premier League and who knows, maybe I'll be the first goalkeeper in line, and my dream will come true," he paused for a moment.</p>
      <p>"But what if Millwall doesn't gain promotion? What if they decide to sign a new, more experienced goalkeeper? What if I have an injury? Take Neville for example. He had an offer from Liverpool three years ago, but he broke his leg and he stayed here," Ron tried to make his point.</p>
      <p>"You see, Hermione; these are questions that haunt every athlete. We don't have much time on our hands and we're lucky if we get a chance to prove ourselves. So yes, I'm sad that it didn't happen, because maybe I won't have another chance. That's the only reason, Hermione."</p>
      <p>Hermione placed a hand on his cheek. "Don't think like that, Ron."</p>
      <p>"Thinking about it is not a bad thing, Hermione. If anything, it motivates me to try harder and not give up. I mean, can you believe it? A Premier League club wanted to sign me! It means that some people believe I'm good enough to play against the best!" Ron said in awe.</p>
      <p>Hermione raised her head and kissed him just for a second. "You are going to have the chance to prove how great you are, Ron. I have faith in you."</p>
      <p>Ron's eyes never left hers and the intensity of his gaze made Hermione almost stop breathing. She had no idea if it was her words that caused this stare or something else, but she couldn't look away.</p>
      <p>Ron smiled and kissed her softly on the lips. "To return back to what we were talking about, Hermione, I must say that you are an idiot," he said when their lips broke apart.</p>
      <p>Hermione raised an eyebrow in surprise and confusion.</p>
      <p>"Yes, you heard me correct. I, Ronald Weasley, called you, Hermione Granger, an idiot. Did you honestly think that I could ever let you go? You're stuck with me, so deal with it."</p>
      <p>Despite the warmth of Ron's words, Hermione felt a tear threatening to roll down her cheek. "You think I'm a bad person?"</p>
      <p>Ron laughed a bit. "I think you're a bit mental, but you could never be a bad person."</p>
      <p>"I feel like I'm a horrible person for not wanting you to move away, even if that would be a better step in your career, so I can keep you with me," Hermione said, gazing intensely in Ron's eyes as she said the last part.</p>
      <p>"You shouldn't feel horrible for thinking that. That's… that's flattering actually. I would think the same way if it were you instead."</p>
      <p>Hermione felt the urgency to inform him about her offer from Lupin&amp;Tonks but she decided against it. With everything that happened today and with his game tomorrow, she knew it wasn't the best time to talk about that. She decided to talk to him tomorrow at the festival or maybe before bed.</p>
      <p>"What time are you going to leave tomorrow?"</p>
      <p>"I set the alarm for 8am. Don't worry, I'll try not to wake you up. You need sleep as much as I do."</p>
      <p>"I won't argue you on this," she laughed for the first time after she brought the subject of his offer. "Come on now; ice cream and reading time is over. Now we need to get some sleep."</p>
      <p>"Hermione, you know I can't sleep before a game."</p>
      <p>Hermione simply took the magazine and tossed it away. "I know you can't usually, Ron, but that's going to change. We're going to cuddle and we're going to sleep holding each other, and I won't take no for an answer."</p>
      <p>Ron was ready to argue when Hermione said with stern voice. "If you don't sleep, then neither shall I."</p>
      <p>Despite the serious tone in her voice, Ron smiled. He agreed mostly because he knew that sooner or later Hermione would fall asleep and if he pretended he was sleeping then she wouldn't feel bad about it.</p>
      <p>"Fine, you win," he said in mock defeating voice.</p>
      <p>"You better get used to that phrase, Ron. It won't be the last time you say it."</p>
      <p>She cleared the bed and moved the blanket over her and Ron. She positioned herself with her back on Ron's chest and she grabbed Ron's arms and placed them around her waist, so they were spooning each other.</p>
      <p>"I better hear some of your extremely loud snoring hurting my ears soon."</p>
      <p>"Hermione, you are the one who snores not I."</p>
      <p>Ron couldn't see her face, but he knew she was smiling at his comment. He held her there in his arms and to his surprise, he felt himself falling asleep very quickly and very deeply. He had a wonderful dream about Hermione trailing kisses on his chin and slowly licking down his chest. Then he felt her soft, delicate hand grabbing gently – well, not too gently – his prick and starting to stroke it slowly; first, he felt her hand over his boxers and then underneath the cotton fabric.</p>
      <p>It was such a pleasant dream and Ron didn't want to wake up. He moaned as he felt Hermione pressing her breasts on his chest and quickening her speed of stroking.</p>
      <p>"Oh fuck!" he said breathlessly once Hermione decided to play with his balls and then her hand went back to his dick, stroking him more firmly and much faster. He was so close to his imaginary orgasm and then he heard Hermione's sweet voice whispering in his ear.</p>
      <p>"Open your eyes, Ron. I want to see your eyes when you come for me."</p>
      <p>Ron's eyes went wide open as he looked straight into Hermione's brown eyes. "Bloody hell, is this real?" he exclaimed in astonishment.</p>
      <p>Hermione's lips found his. This kiss was sweeter than before. It was everything that Ron needed to realise that he wasn't dreaming. "What do you think?" she breathed into his ear.</p>
      <p>"Oh fuck, don't stop!" Ron moaned gasping for air.</p>
      <p>"I don't intend to," said Hermione naughtily.</p>
      <p>It didn't take more than a few strokes more for Ron to reach his orgasm, calling out her name. Hermione kissed Ron with great passion at his release and he replied with equal enthusiasm. He still wasn't sure that this was actually happening. A good morning handjob from Hermione wouldn't be at the top of his list of things he was expecting to experience today. He wasn't going to complain though.</p>
      <p>"I love you," he breathed when they broke apart gazing at her beautiful brown eyes with affection. "And not because of what you just did, although it did earn you some points to be honest. While we are talking about this, next time don't be afraid to use more parts of your body, Hermione. Mouth, tits, legs, I'll take anything!" he joked.</p>
      <p>Hermione punched him lightly in the arm with her 'clean' hand. "You're incorrigible, you know that?" she scolded him before leaning forward and kissing him one more time. "But I love you."</p>
      <p>There was a question that Ron wanted to ask Hermione but Hermione was able to read him before voicing it. "Ron, believe it or not, I'm just as horny as you, if not more. It's almost unbearable to keep my hands off you. I want you, Ron. All of you!" she said passionately. "But since we must wait a bit longer for that and since you were extremely understanding on the matter, I decided to award your patience and not let you go to your game without a prequel of what's coming. Did you enjoy it?"</p>
      <p>"I fucking loved it!" Ron exclaimed. He gave her another long kiss and then he made a move to get out of bed and go clean himself in the bathroom, but Hermione stopped him. She raised her 'dirty' hand and they both grimaced at the sticky image.</p>
      <p>"Let me go clean my hands first and then the bathroom is all yours," Hermione said and went to the bathroom leaving a grinning Ron staring at his alarm clock and realising that it was time for him to get ready to leave. He did it without complaining, thinking that this day couldn't have started in a better way.</p>
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<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Games and unlocked doors</h2></a>
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      <p>The sun streamed through the window waking Hermione up. She opened her eyes and smiled as she stared outside the window. It was such good weather for this time of the year. It was such a pleasant surprise after all the rainy days she had found since coming to the Burrow.</p>
      <p>She took her watch from the bedside table and put it on her wrist. It was almost 9 a.m.</p>
      <p><em>I must have fallen asleep after…</em>she thought.</p>
      <p>Immediately a grin appeared on her face. She couldn't believe what she did earlier. Ron was already gone for more than three hours but she could still feel his hard manhood in her hand. She closed her eyes to relive the feeling and smiled proudly at herself. Finally, she was brave, even a little, and it was enough to erase some dark thoughts.</p>
      <p>She didn't regret doing it, but after Ron left, she was starting to wonder in fear if what had happened would affect him in his game. Surely, he seemed to enjoy it, but what if he kept thinking about it and it reduced his concentration during the game? What if she could be the reason that Ron might have a bad game in front of his family?</p>
      <p>
        <em>Okay, don't think about that, Hermione! It was a lovely moment between you and him. No regrets, no fear. Think of it this way. If he plays well then you can relax and no harm done, but if he plays badly, then you'll have to make it up to him.</em>
      </p>
      <p>She felt silly and naughty thinking up ways of how she would allow Ron to punish her and just for now, she was wishing that Ron would suck at his game and blame her.</p>
      <p>Of course, soon after a nice bath she came to her senses and realized that she wasn't thinking straight or not at all for that matter. Whether Ron would play well or not had nothing to do with their morning activities, and, surely, if she really needed Ron to do all the things she desired, then all she had to do was let him and not set obstacles like dates and teasing.</p>
      <p>That's why she woke him up this morning in the way she did. She was burning with a desire to please him, because in that way he would please her. Not by returning the favour, but by being able to see the look of satisfaction in his eyes - a satisfaction that she gave him.</p>
      <p>After arriving late to breakfast for the first time since her arrival, she found she couldn't stop smiling. While everybody else had something to do, she was just eating with a great appetite, reminiscing about what had happened earlier.</p>
      <p>All the male Weasleys, along with her father and Hagrid, were already gone to the carnival for some last minute adjustments to the fireworks show, before going to Ron's game.</p>
      <p>Her mother and Molly were also planning to visit the town for something that Hermione pretended she heard, but, in reality, nothing could shake her from daydreaming about Ron.</p>
      <p>Ginny's intense gaze during the whole breakfast didn't go unnoticed by Hermione. While the other girls were busy with watching their kids or chatting and gossiping, Ginny kept looking at her with great curiosity as if she was trying to solve a difficult puzzle.</p>
      <p>It didn't take long after the breakfast was over to understand the meaning of those looks. Ginny had practically dragged her to her room before closing the door behind her so no one could hear them.</p>
      <p>"You had sex with Ron!" Ginny exclaimed sitting next to her in the bed.</p>
      <p>Hermione's cheeks went crimson. She wondered if it was too obvious and everybody – including her parents - had assumed she had sex, which wasn't the truth anyway. "No, no I didn't... well, not exactly."</p>
      <p>Ginny looked at her expectantly. "Start talking."</p>
      <p>Despite the awkwardness of a talk like that, Hermione was glad she had someone to talk to about it. She knew Ginny wouldn't treat her as her brother's girlfriend but as her friend and, if anything, she owed it to her for being so supportive from the moment she told Ginny about her feelings for Ron.</p>
      <p>"I pleasured him… with my hand," she said blushing, waiting for Ginny to be amazed by the news, but all Ginny did was roll her eyes and sigh in…<em>disappointment</em>?</p>
      <p>"That's it? Hermione, are you telling me that you two are all alone on a floor for almost a week now, and all you have to say is that you wanked my wanker brother?"</p>
      <p>"We want to take things slow!"</p>
      <p>"Ron wants to take things slow? Wait, I'll call the press," said Ginny sarcastically. "And really, Hermione, you two are together for three days and you've already given him a handjob. I believe in many cultures that is considered rather fast."</p>
      <p>Hermione was confused. "But you just said-,"</p>
      <p>"I'm just trying to point out how ridiculous your argument is, Hermione," Ginny said more softly now as she moved closer to Hermione and placed a hand on her shoulder.</p>
      <p>"It's good that you want to take your time and I'm happy for you that… jerking off my brother gave you so much satisfaction as I think it did, judging from your stupid grin all morning. I wasn't trying to cheapen it."</p>
      <p>At this, Hermione smiled and felt more at ease.</p>
      <p>"But really, Hermione, you and Ron don't need to take things slow. On the contrary, you need to take things fast. You two have already lost a lot of time. He loves you and you love him. Sex is not going to change that and it would do us all a favour considering how you two act together when someone leaves you alone for five minutes."</p>
      <p>Hermione felt embarrassed and looked away. "Hey, we're not… that bad," she shyly protested knowing what a huge lie that was.</p>
      <p>"Oh, please, I still have the disgusting image in my head of you sitting on my brother's lap and him shoving his tongue down your throat."</p>
      <p>"He's a great kisser," Hermione admitted not able to hide the excitement she felt remembering all the wonderful feelings Ron brought out whenever he kissed her.</p>
      <p>"Really?" Ginny asked in disbelief. "Are we talking about the same Ron? We are talking about my brother, who eats like a pig with his mouth open, and is always drooling when he sees a chocolate ice cream? Are you telling me that his mouth can produce nice kisses?"</p>
      <p>This comment brought a laugh to Hermione. Surely, she couldn't argue with that. "Hey, I'm just as surprised as you, but really he's very skillful! He does this thing with his tongue that-"</p>
      <p>"Please stop! I just ate breakfast and I'd really like to keep it in my stomach. Thank you very much!"</p>
      <p>Hermione laughed and soon she was joined by Ginny. They kept talking about everything that happened and, before they knew it, it was time to get ready for the road trip to London.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Steady hands, normal heart rate, no sweat, clear vision. <em>What the fuck is going on?</em></p>
      <p>Ron was sitting at his spot in the locker room as he kept staring at his hands waiting any moment now to start shaking in nervousness – something that always happened to him before a game - but both hands to his surprise remained steady.</p>
      <p>He waited for his heart to start beating like crazy at the thought of getting out on the pitch in front of thousands of fans, but he was as calm as a monk while praying.</p>
      <p>Something was definitely wrong with him. Or was it right? He couldn't tell the difference.</p>
      <p>He actually had to look himself in the mirror to make sure it was really him and he hadn't somehow been abducted by aliens and replaced with a new and better version of himself.</p>
      <p>He heard Coach Snape giving his usual speech before the game and for the first time he wasn't scared whenever his name was mentioned as a part of a tactic. He fought the urge to correct some things that in his mind would work better than his coach's plan, but it was probably for the best that he kept his mouth shut.</p>
      <p>The slow walk to the field and the long walk from the center of the field to his posts weren't accompanied by scary thoughts of the game and possible embarrassment of himself, especially with his whole family watching.</p>
      <p>Instead, he made sure all his defenders were in the right positions and gave every single one of them all the necessary instructions he felt they needed to play better, before taking his place too.</p>
      <p>Out of more than thirty thousand fans, and among the fourteen people that he would go home with after the end of the match, he connected with one pair of brown eyes staring only at him. He found her immediately. It wasn't that hard really. If it wasn't for the hair or the shirt with his name that she was wearing, the hand she was waving at him frantically and her screams of his name trying to earn his attention were quite a giveaway of her position in the stadium.</p>
      <p><em>Well, that and the fact that you bought the tickets so you know perfectly well where everyone is sitting, genius</em>, a little voice inside his head reminded him.</p>
      <p>The referee blew his whistle and the game started. Ron knew that no matter how hard the opponents could try, they couldn't beat him. Not today.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Hermione knew too little about football. Her weekly visits to the stadium the previous years were only to witness Ron playing. When he didn't, which happened almost always, she returned her attention to check her phone or to talk with Ginny, Harry and the twins.</p>
      <p>So she never really cared to learn the rules and, because of that, she constantly asked Harry or Ginny - whoever was sitting next to her - all kind of questions whenever something happened that made the crowd go wild.</p>
      <p>Despite knowing that she was bothering them and not letting them watch the game in peace, Harry and Ginny never denied answering her questions.</p>
      <p>The atmosphere in the stadium was alive. The fans were very enthusiastic and loud with their chants and songs, and Hermione found herself singing along a few times too. What surprised her more was that, much to her amusement, her parents sang too!</p>
      <p>
        <em>You are my Millwall</em>
        <em>
          <br/>
        </em>
        <em>My only Millwall</em>
        <em>
          <br/>
        </em>
        <em>You make me happy when skies are grey</em>
        <em>
          <br/>
        </em>
        <em>(And blue and white)</em>
        <em>
          <br/>
        </em>
        <em>You'll never know just how much I love you</em>
        <em>
          <br/>
        </em>
        <em>Until you take my Millwall away</em>
      </p>
      <p>Seeing Emma Granger enjoying something like this wasn't something that Hermione was prepared for, and she could tell that her mother wasn't pretending. She kept looking at her interaction with her dad and there was something odd about them. They were holding hands and whispering in each other's ears, laughing and stealing kisses from each other. It was like they were…<em> in love?</em></p>
      <p>She felt that her parents were sharing something she had never seen before. It was something that was only about them and they had no intention of sharing it with the rest of the world – not even their own daughter. She would make sure though to try and get some answers and maybe have her fun teasing them a bit. She rarely had the chance to do that nowadays.</p>
      <p>She returned her attention to the game just in time to see Ron make one more spectacular save, earning another round of applause from the crowd.</p>
      <p>"Well done, Weasley! Great save!" a group of teenage boys next to them shouted.</p>
      <p>"He's my son," Hermione heard Molly announcing proudly.</p>
      <p><em>If only I had a camera so Ron could see it</em>, thought Hermione.</p>
      <p>That made a lot of people from the nearby seats give Molly congratulations about Ron even if some of them appeared to be more passionate than others.</p>
      <p>"He's doing great! With him on the post, we can fuck them all!" one of them in particular screamed and many agreed in a roar of applause.</p>
      <p>Hermione tried very hard to suppress the chuckle that was threatening to escape her lips, but the effort was in vain. The expression of shock on Molly's face which showed her mix of pride and disgust over that drunken guy's language was priceless and all the Weasleys including Hermione fell into a fit of laughter.</p>
      <p>Before she knew it, it was already half-time with both teams not being able to score a goal. It was obvious that the opponents were playing better, but Ron had made some impressive saves.</p>
      <p>Ginny and Sofia left for the loo, while the twins with Bill went to get some drinks. After a few minutes, Harry came and sat next to Hermione nudging her elbow and smiling at her. She smiled back.</p>
      <p>"There is something different about Ron today; have you noticed?" he said as if he was trying to imply something.</p>
      <p>What Harry said was true. Ron was different today, but in a good way. She had witnessed almost all of Ron's games in the past and he never seemed more confident in her eyes.</p>
      <p>"He looks calmer and more confident," he added and Hermione wondered if he had actually read her mind. "And I think the reason is you," he grinned at her.</p>
      <p>Ok, she would be a huge liar if she said that wasn't the biggest compliment - that Ron was playing better because of her -, but surely there was no evidence to support this hypothesis.</p>
      <p>"I don't think that-," she started saying before Harry stopped her.</p>
      <p>"Oh come on, Hermione! Look at him. The bloke is glowing!" Harry exclaimed pointing at Ron as he had just entered the field with the rest of the team for the beginning of the second half.</p>
      <p>The crowd went wild again trying to encourage Millwall's players.</p>
      <p>
        <em>No one likes us, no one likes us</em>
        <em>
          <br/>
        </em>
        <em>No one likes us, we don't care!</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>We are Millwall, super Millwall</em>
        <em>
          <br/>
        </em>
        <em>We are Millwall from The Den!</em>
      </p>
      <p>"Why does no one like us?" Hermione asked Harry in curiosity after hearing that chant.</p>
      <p>"Oh, don't bother. It's football; no one likes anyone."</p>
      <p>Hermione scoffed at this comment. She would truly never understand how something like a sport could generate such powerful emotions in so many people. To her mind, it should bring people together to have fun, not divide them according to shirts and colours.</p>
      <p>"Your parents seem to be enjoying the game also. How did that happen?"</p>
      <p>"You know, I have no idea!" Hermione answered truthfully laughing a bit. "I mean my dad loves football, but my mum? That's a mystery. My guess is that someone spiked her orange juice."</p>
      <p>"I wouldn't rule that out with the twins around," Harry laughed with her.</p>
      <p>Hermione's eyes again were on Ron. He looked completely concentrated on what he was doing. It was one of those rare moments where Hermione had the chance to study him while he was working. It was quite fascinating watching him as he shut everything out and focused on the task ahead.</p>
      <p>"I love him," she blurted out. It was such a small phrase for something so huge. Like the vocabulary was mocking this wonderful feeling.</p>
      <p>"I love him too. Though I reckon in a very different way than you."</p>
      <p>"Good to know. I wouldn't like the competition," said Hermione with a laugh.</p>
      <p>She felt good admitting her feelings to Harry. He was Ron's best friend, but she always considered him as her good friend too and the fact that he often took her side when she was bickering with Ron, made him a lot more sympathetic in her eyes.</p>
      <p>"He loves you too, you know. I've never seen him so happy and so scared at the same time. That's why I believe that he's completely mad about you."</p>
      <p>Harry's words didn't hold any doubt. She blushed thinking that Harry was the one who said those words; if anyone knew Ron better than she did, it was Harry. So, hearing him telling her that she made Ron happier than ever before was the biggest compliment she ever received.</p>
      <p>Then she processed Harry's words. Ron was scared? That was a relief because she was bloody terrified! "It scares me too. It scares my pants off actually," she admitted shyly to Harry.</p>
      <p>"What, that he loves you?"</p>
      <p>Hermione shook her head. Of course, she wasn't scared at the thought that Ron loved her back. What scared her was that she wasn't sure that Ron could love her just as much as she loved him. It scared her that someday it could all be over between them and she would still love him.</p>
      <p>Someone might say that love comes and goes or that she should <em>never say never </em>and thather feelings of love could change, but she knew. She knew that Ron Weasley came into her life, not only to change it like he did six years ago, but to be the most important part of.</p>
      <p>"What scares me is the knowledge that I don't ever want to live without him. The few days of the year that we spend apart because he's on the road with the team are torture. I think I have it bad. I'm crazy about him and it scares me because I've never felt like this before. It's so strong that I can't fight it. I don't want to fight it."</p>
      <p>She saw that Harry was watching her carefully and he really listened to her confession.</p>
      <p>"I know that it took me a long time to realize it, Harry, but I love him so much," she finished, not at all surprised that she was so overwhelmed that she was in tears once again.</p>
      <p>"I must sound completely pathetic, right?" she said wiping her tears with her sleeve.</p>
      <p>Harry moved a bit closer and put an arm around her, letting her shed her tears in his shirt as he started talking very quietly, trying not to be heard by anyone other than Hermione.</p>
      <p>"Don't say this to Ginny but when I first started dating her, I wasn't thinking that it would last. I knew I fancied her, but growing up without my parents made me not want to have a family of my own. I was always thinking that something could go wrong and I would end up leaving my kids without… without a dad," he said, having difficulty not letting his emotions overtake him.</p>
      <p>It was Hermione's turn now to comfort him as she placed a hand on top of his and gave him a light squeeze.</p>
      <p>"So, I started this relationship knowing that there was no future I could see that would lead to marriage or having a family. I didn't tell Ginny because I was afraid she would leave me and I know it was selfish and wrong but…"</p>
      <p>"But you loved her," Hermione finished his sentence.</p>
      <p>"We weren't together for more than three years - I was still a rookie right out of the academy - when we had this case. A burglar went into a house and killed the parents leaving a three month old baby orphaned. It brought back feelings from the past," he paused for just a moment, and Hermione knew he was trying to block the images of that day.</p>
      <p>"My mind was full of rage and pain. I couldn't shake my mind free of the image of that baby. It reminded me that I wasn't going to have a family and I decided that it was time to break it off with Ginny before things got more serious between us. I was waiting for her to come home, so I could break her heart and mine."</p>
      <p>Hermione was shocked by this. Her friends were so close to breaking up and she had no idea. She couldn't even imagine how heartbroken and lost Ginny would have ended up if Harry had actually gone with his break-up plan.</p>
      <p>"But then Ginny came to my house, sat next to me on the couch, gave me a kiss on the cheek and smiled at me. And that pain I was feeling was reduced to a minimum and I wasn't angry anymore. I had the most beautiful girl in the world looking at me with so much love that I realized that I wasn't alone anymore. I had… Ginny."</p>
      <p>He took a breath. "Instead of breaking up with her, I asked her to marry me and God knows why, she agreed. And now I have James. I have the best family I could ever ask for."</p>
      <p>Hermione gave Harry a kiss on the cheek and hugged him. She wanted to tell him with this small gesture that she was proud of him and that she agreed that he made the right decision.</p>
      <p>"Fuck, look at us! What a right mess we are! Those Weasleys are unbelievable at what they can do to you," he joked as he wiped away his tears, causing Hermione to smile.</p>
      <p>"They are worth it though," Hermione said removing her arms from him and turning her head to search for Ron on the field.</p>
      <p>Harry's head moved to his left where Ginny was coming to take her seat. "Yes, they are," he said staring at his beautiful wife.</p>
      <p>The second half began and Millwall soon took the lead with a goal by Seamus. Millwall's defenders were doing a great job at keeping the opponents from mounting a threat, and in the rare times that they managed to find a crack in the defensive line, Ron was there to stop them.</p>
      <p>"That's a foul, you twat!" George shouted to the referee earning a scolding from his mother for using such language in front of little kids.</p>
      <p>"Oh come on, mum! It was a foul!" Fred defended his twin.</p>
      <p>"And that wank – respectful opponent - deserved a yellow card."</p>
      <p>"Red, more likely."</p>
      <p>"Will you two shut up and watch the game?" Ginny shouted, silencing the twins for good.</p>
      <p>The game was racing toward its end. Three minutes of injury time were left until the final whistle when Leicester won a foul in a very dangerous position. If the ball went above the human wall, then there wasn't much that Ron could do.</p>
      <p>Hermione crossed her fingers praying for the best. The free-kick was really well executed, but it wasn't good enough to beat this Ron. A huge sigh of relief by thousands of fans was heard in unison and when the referee signaled the end of the game, cheers and songs erupted throughout the stadium.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>"Great game everyone!" Snape exclaimed enthusiastically in the locker room after the game was over as all the players were giving high fives to each other. "Walking here, the president caught me and told me that all the members of the board believe that you all deserve some extra days off."</p>
      <p>Everybody started cheering but it didn't last long. "But I disagree. You are all to come back January 3rd. No extra days, no excuses," Snape added and with that all the cheers were over. "Weasley and Longbottom, after you finish showering, come to my office."</p>
      <p>Ron and Neville shared a look and sighed at the same time. All they wanted to do was shower and leave. There was obviously no time to waste in whatever Snape wanted from them, so they quickly showered. They walked together after the shower to the coach's office and Snape told Ron to come inside first and Neville to wait outside.</p>
      <p>"Today you had a flawless game, Weasley. I don't care how it happened or why. Just keep it there."</p>
      <p>It was a great compliment, even with the lack of excitement. He couldn't really expect more warmth from Snape. After so many years, Ron had learned that if Snape tells you that you don't suck, then consider yourself lucky.</p>
      <p>"I'll try my best, sir."</p>
      <p>"That's not why I called you here though. I was informed by the board that Miller signed a new contract to Everton and today was his last game with us. I must appoint a new vice-captain for the team and I chose you. You're the oldest member of this team and the lads respect you. Also you just signed a new contract so you'll be here for the next few years and I won't have to choose again for a long time. That all makes you the best candidate."</p>
      <p>Ron was actually glad about Miller's departure, but for different reasons. Nobody liked the guy and he always acted as someone superior than others footballers on the team, so his leaving would be beneficial.</p>
      <p>Otherwise, the news left Ron a bit stunned. "Thank you, sir," was all he could say, feeling pleasantly surprised with the news.</p>
      <p>"It's a great honour and you should be proud of yourself. But you also have new responsibilities that come along with this role. The young players will look up to you for advice, the fans will see you as a symbol for the club, and your behavior must be completely professional. Am I understood?"</p>
      <p>"Don't worry sir; I won't let you down."</p>
      <p>"We'll see about that. For now, you are dismissed. Tell Longbottom to come in."</p>
      <p>Ron nodded curtly and shook Snape's hand. He waited for Neville to finish too so they could leave together and he could tell Neville about his new status on the team. When a gloomy-looking Neville came out of the office though, Ron knew that it would probably not a good idea to gloat about himself when obviously Neville had received some unpleasant news.</p>
      <p>"What happened?" he asked him in concern.</p>
      <p>"I'm off the team," Neville choked. "Coach told me he signed Roberts from Bolton to replace me."</p>
      <p>Ron was stunned. "And what, he just let you off the team like that? Don't you have a contract?"</p>
      <p>"He said that the club has received three loan offers and two transfer offers for me and the club is willing to accept any of them. All I must do is to talk with my manager and decide which offer we want to accept. At the very worst, I can stay but as a second option for the position, which doesn't sound very tempting to be honest."</p>
      <p>"Did he tell you the clubs that are after you?"</p>
      <p>Neville shook his head. "No I didn't ask. I was too shocked; I couldn't even utter a word."</p>
      <p>Giving Neville a friendly pat on the back was all Ron could do. "What are you going to do?"</p>
      <p>Neville sighed. "I don't know. Obviously i won't stay here, so i'm going to see what offers i have and decide. Or better yet, i'm going to let Hannah decide. She's better at these things and it will affect her as well."</p>
      <p>"Don't worry, mate. You have a good name in the market. It won't be hard for you to find a new and better contract."</p>
      <p>That wasn't a lie. Neville had almost got a contract with Liverpool before an injury took him back and there were always rumors that a number of Premier League clubs were interested to sign him.</p>
      <p>But he also knew that the problem wasn't if Neville could find a better contract or not. He knew that Neville's biggest problem would be to find a new contract in a London club. Hannah had her job here, they had their friends here and they had a baby on the way. The last thing they would want was to change their whole world by moving somewhere far away.</p>
      <p>It reminded him a lot of his talk with Hermione the night before. Sure, he joked a bit with the whole thing, but right now he began to realize that if he was in Neville's place, he would be in deep trouble!</p>
      <p>
        <em>Would Hermione follow me? If the board had accepted Newcastle's offer, would she have come with me? It's a huge sacrifice and it's not like we are engaged or anything. We are together less than a week, she has a job here, and asking her to follow me would be completely unfair to her.</em>
      </p>
      <p>"What did he want with you?" Neville asked him.</p>
      <p>Ron felt awkward as gave the answer while Neville had just received some really bad news. "Miller's gone. They traded him to Everton, so I'm the new vice-captain."</p>
      <p>A genuine smile appeared on Neville's face, despite his own bad news. "That's great, Ron! And finally about Miller. I never liked that dickhead."</p>
      <p>They both shared a sad smile. "You're a good teammate, Neville. It was a pleasure playing with you. I'm gonna miss you on the field."</p>
      <p>"I might come back as an opponent and beat you. You won't miss me then."</p>
      <p>Despite Neville's effort to lighten the mood, Ron really stood by what he had just said. Neville was his best friend on the team and things would be completely different with him not there. Different but in a very bad way, there was no doubt about that.</p>
      <p>They walked together outside the training center to the parking lot. Before parting their ways, Ron spoke.</p>
      <p>"Listen, Nev. If you need someone to talk to-"</p>
      <p>"Trust me, I will!"</p>
      <p>They shared a friendly hug. "Enjoy your days off, mate."</p>
      <p>"You too, Nev. Don't let what happened today ruin your holidays with Hannah. Don't give them the satisfaction."</p>
      <p>Neville thought for a second. "I think you're right, Ron. Hannah and I have plans for New Years Eve and I owe it to her and myself to have a nice time."</p>
      <p>"That's the spirit! And call me any time of the day, alright mate?"</p>
      <p>"I will, Ron. Enjoy your holidays too. Give Hermione my condolences for picking you as her boyfriend,"</p>
      <p>Ron mumbled "wanker" at Neville, but he did laugh. It was nice to tell people that he was now a couple with Hermione and he welcomed all the teasing. Well, almost all. It certainly wasn't pleasant hearing Seamus constantly talking like a woman to him pretending he's Hermione asking for a kiss or a blowjob.</p>
      <p>He entered his car and drove to the factory where he knew they were waiting for him. He had no idea if those two hours at the game were pleasant for his parents or Hermione's. Reaching his destination and walking out of his car, he was surprised when his parents pounced on him in delight.</p>
      <p>"Congratulations, my boy! You were brilliant, son!" Molly and Arthur couldn't stop hugging Ron and congratulating him for his performance.</p>
      <p>For his part, Ron felt weird receiving such praises from his parents about football. He wasn't surprised about his father's reaction, but hearing his mother tell him how proud she was for him after she saw him playing, wasn't something he was prepared for. That's why he kept her hug longer than every other's - even Hermione's.</p>
      <p>When Arthur offered to start the tour, Ron practically started dragging Hermione by the hand in the opposite direction from his parents, making an argument that he and Hermione would be in the chairman's office for a little and would meet them soon.</p>
      <p>Once the door was closed behind him, he didn't miss a second of claiming her lips with a passionate kiss. God, how much he missed the taste of her lips despite the fact that they had snogged only hours ago.</p>
      <p>Thankfully nobody interrupted them this time so they both enjoyed each other's embrace and kisses. Ron was sitting on the big chair in the office while Hermione was sitting comfortably on his lap caressing his hair.</p>
      <p>"You played wonderfully today, Ron. It was a nice way to impress my parents."</p>
      <p>"Did I impress you? That's what I'm more interested to know."</p>
      <p>"It'll take more than a few good saves to impress me, Ronald Weasley," she said giving him a meaningful look.</p>
      <p>"Fuck, so that means all that was for nothing?"</p>
      <p>"I'm afraid so," Hermione said with a fake sad expression.</p>
      <p>Ron smiled before pressing his lips again against Hermione's. "Worth a try, though."</p>
      <p>"You owe me, by the way," Hermione said after they broke the kiss to breathe.</p>
      <p>Ron raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "How's that?"</p>
      <p>"I couldn't help but notice that you played your best game today after my… morning gift to you. The only logical conclusion is that it helped you play better," said Hermione blushing bringing their morning intimate moment into the conversation.</p>
      <p>Ron thought for a moment. "It could be true, but we won't know for sure unless we test it a few more times. It could just be coincidental."</p>
      <p>"Hmmm… you have a point here. I guess the next – let's say five - times will tell if it was a coincidence or not."</p>
      <p>"Better make that thirty; just to be absolutely sure."</p>
      <p>Hermione chuckled but nodded anyway. "Yes, we don't need to rush to a conclusion unless we're absolutely certain about the results."</p>
      <p>Ron brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear causing Hermione to feel a pleasant shiver at his touch. Their eyes met for a split second before a new round of passionate kissing took over them. Breathless and flushed after a few minutes, she got up from Ron's lap and walked to the window.</p>
      <p>She didn't want to admire the view. She just couldn't help but feel the desire of taking her clothes off, then ripping off Ron's clothes, and making love until New Years. And Ron's boner poking at her when she was sitting on him wasn't helping her controlling herself. A few deep calming breaths would do the trick in the past, but it didn't seem to work now.</p>
      <p>"Is this impressive enough for you?" He pointed at the nameplate on the desk she hadn't notice before. It said, <em>Ronald Weasley</em>, and underneath the word <em>chairman</em>.</p>
      <p><em>Great, </em>she thought<em>. A change of subject</em>.</p>
      <p>"Fred and George thought it would be funny to have it here all the time and see it when I visit. My mum loves it and she never misses the chance to take photographs with me sitting in this very chair with the nameplate in full display. I'm surprised she didn't show you the pictures when she tried talking you into taking her side."</p>
      <p>Hermione's eyes widened. She had no idea how Ron had found about it. "I didn't agree to-," Ron didn't let her finish her sentence.</p>
      <p>"I know, Hermione. My mum would plead the Queen to convince me to drop football if she could."</p>
      <p>"She just wants what's best for you."</p>
      <p>"I know she does," he whispered.</p>
      <p>"I think after your performance today and seeing how much the fans respect and love you, she'll change her mind. You should have seen how proud of you everybody was during the game," she admitted to him.</p>
      <p>She held Ron's intense gaze after that as she was sure that he was trying to detect a hint of a lie in her words. He always did that when someone was giving him praise for something. She loved him, but sometimes he didn't give himself the credit he deserved. Perhaps another change of subject would help him this time.</p>
      <p>"Why you were late getting here after the game?"</p>
      <p>Ron sighed remembering Neville's upcoming departure for another club. "Coach Snape kept us to announce that I'm the new vice-captain and that Neville is off the team."</p>
      <p>In other circumstances, Hermione would shriek in delight for Ron, but seeing him feel bad for their friend, she knew that it wasn't time for celebrations.</p>
      <p>"That's too bad for Neville. I'll call Hannah later to see if they need anything."</p>
      <p>"It got me thinking about our talk last night," Ron said. "I know we have not been together for a long time, at least not together-together, but it made me wonder what would happen if I was in Neville's place."</p>
      <p>Hermione didn't want to think about that scenario anymore in her head. She wasted too much time already with those dark thoughts, but she was interested in what Ron was struggling to say. The expression on his face indicated to Hermione that a million thoughts were running through his head and he wanted to put them in order so he could say what he wanted to say.</p>
      <p>"Ron, what is it?"</p>
      <p>Ron sighed heavily. "You know… what I'm trying to say is that if we are together and an offer comes-,"</p>
      <p>"IF we are together?" she interrupted arching an eyebrow.</p>
      <p>"Yes, I mean IF you are still crazy enough to stay with me until that hypothetical day comes, Hermione."</p>
      <p>"Sorry, go on," she said trying to hide her satisfaction and amusement with the best unexpressive face she could muster.</p>
      <p>"Well, don't feel like you have to follow me. You are free to do what you want… and I'll respect whatever decision you make… coming or not," he struggled to say the sentence.</p>
      <p>It was so cute for Hermione to see him stammering and trying to act all gentlemanly and be the better man. She decided to tease him a bit as she walked towards his desk. "What happened with the, <em>you're stuck with me</em>?"</p>
      <p>"That still stands!" Ron exclaimed. "But you know, to make things clearer, I felt the need to tell you that I wouldn't put you to this test to follow me to a foreign city or country if you didn't feel comfortable with the idea. I'd be miserable without you, but I wouldn't do anything to make you unhappy."</p>
      <p>She was overwhelmed by his love and affection for her that those emotions seemed to bypass the concurrent lust and desire that she was experiencing. She walked to him and this time she sat astride him and gave him a sweet and long kiss on the lips. "Thanks, Ronald. I appreciate that."</p>
      <p>Hermione couldn't help but think about her own career. She still hadn't told Ron about the offer from Lupin&amp;Tonks and she thought that this was probably the best time to share that news with Ron.</p>
      <p>"Since you're honest with me, I think it's my time to share something I haven't told you yet," she said as Ron looked at her with curiosity written all over his face.</p>
      <p>"I have a business proposal from Lupin&amp;Tonks!"</p>
      <p>This statement earned no reaction from Ron who looked at her like he was waiting to see if she was done or there was more to tell. "You have no idea who Lupin&amp;Tonks are, have you?"</p>
      <p>"Not the slightest," Ron shook his head.</p>
      <p>"They are a famous law firm that co-operates with PETA," Hermione explained but still Ron was looking at her like he was lost. Hermione groaned. "PETA, as in People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals!"</p>
      <p>Ron finally nodded in understanding and his eyes sparkled.</p>
      <p>"Anyways, I had an interview - well it was more like lunch with them and they offered me a job," Hermione said nervously.</p>
      <p>"That's great! Hermione, this is what you were waiting for! I'm so happy for you!" Ron hugged her enthusiastically, but after a moment or two, he sensed that Hermione didn't return this enthusiasm. "It's good news, right?"</p>
      <p>"I don't know Ron. I'd love to work with them. I met them and they are truly great people, and like you said it's exactly what I was waiting for, but… the money is a lot less than what I earn now and I'll probably work more hours-"</p>
      <p>"Hermione, are you serious?" Ron interrupted her. "Don't tell me that you're thinking of rejecting the offer because of the money!"</p>
      <p>"You wanted to do the same, Ron!"</p>
      <p>"That's completely different. I already do what I love. Rejecting a contract wouldn't take me away from football."</p>
      <p>Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but Ron shushed her by placing a finger over her lips. "You've told me countless times how much you hate your job. I think it's time for a change."</p>
      <p>"It's not that simple, Ron!" she cried. "I'm going to start from the beginning again. I'm going to be an active lawyer handling cases, something I haven't done since my apprentice. It's going to consume me mentally and physically, the paperwork is ten times more than what I already have, I'm going to leave a job that might not be ideal, vut it's steady and safe and -" she kept talking before Ron hushed her with a kiss.</p>
      <p>The kiss seemed to have the effect that Ron was hoping for, since now a silent and flushed Hermione was giving him her full attention.</p>
      <p>"Hermione, how many times do I need to tell you to sort out your priorities? Do you remember what you've told me when you got this job? That it's going to be temporary just until you find something you love doing? Well this is it, Hermione. Are you going to let it get away because it's going to be uncomfortable at first or it's going to pay you less money?"</p>
      <p>"I didn't say I wouldn't do it, Ron. I'm telling you the pros and cons of the offer. I need you to help me to make a decision."</p>
      <p>"You should take the job," Ron said immediately.</p>
      <p>Hermione sighed. "A little more thought wouldn't hurt, you know."</p>
      <p>"Okay, fine! Hmm… I don't know. It's difficult. I'm… well… you should take the job. Is that better?"</p>
      <p>Hermione rolled her eyes in disappointment. Obviously, Ron wasn't taking this seriously. "It's nice to know that I'm facing the biggest challenge in my professional career and you find it amusing," she said slightly hurt by Ron's behavior making a move to get up before Ron grabbed her arms and pulled her down again.</p>
      <p>"You think I'm making fun of you, Hermione? I'm not! I truly believe that you should take this job if this is what is going to make you happy."</p>
      <p><em>Happy. </em>Would she really be happy if she got to work with Lupin&amp;Tonks? Surely it couldn't be worse than her current job. Could it be possible that two great things come to her left at the same time: the perfect man and the perfect job? How many people were that fortunate?</p>
      <p><em>But why not? </em>Another voice inside her head was heard. People who are blessed with both are usually the ones that fight for those things. And she knew that she and Ron would fight really hard in the future to set their differences aside and work as a couple and she knew that if she was going to receive any satisfaction from her career, it would be through hard work.</p>
      <p>"You really believe I should take the job?"</p>
      <p>"Will accepting this job be something that will make you happy?"</p>
      <p>She nodded.</p>
      <p>"Then you have your answer."</p>
      <p>She had her answer. She finally had her answer. Her only hesitation in accepting the job was Ron and his possible disagreement, but now that he was fully on board with the idea she wanted to scream in delight!</p>
      <p><em>I can take the job! </em>She screamed inwardly.</p>
      <p>"Alright, I'll do it, but if I start coming home later at nights or if I bring home my work or if I'm spending too much time on cases and trials, then I need you to promise me that you won't complain and you'll be supportive."</p>
      <p>"So basically nothing is going to change."</p>
      <p>"Promise me, Ron!" she demanded again without approving of his attempt to lighten the mood.</p>
      <p>Ron, as if he was giving an oath, put his right hand to where his heart was and raised the left in the air. "I promise I will never complain about your job as long as it makes you happy. And if we ever get into a fight about your work, we both agree to settle any disagreement in bed… naked… having sex."</p>
      <p>A bright red flush stained her cheeks. They gave a handshake. "It's a deal."</p>
      <p>After that, she leaned forward and kissed him; this kiss was full of physical urgency as her hands slowly slid up his shoulders, her fingers threading in his hair as her lips glided softly against his. She moaned as Ron nibbled on her neck. She didn't protest when he cupped her breasts over her sweater. It only resulted in more moans escaping her mouth.</p>
      <p>Ron moved his mouth again against her, using his tongue to coax open her lips. Any sort of reluctance was slowly fading away from Hermione. She wanted this right here and now. She broke their contact as a startled Ron stared at her.</p>
      <p>"Do you by chance have the key to lock this door?" she asked pleading inside her for a positive answer.</p>
      <p>"What do you have in mind, Granger?"</p>
      <p>"I thought about our agreement, Ron. You know the <em>no sex 'til first date</em>, and I realize now how unfair this is to you and me."</p>
      <p>His eyes widened as he tried to gulp. Hermione knew that he understood where she was heading with this. She leaned forward again and whispered in his ear. "I bet you must have a fantasy that involves you having sex on this table, am I right?"</p>
      <p>She bit his earlobe lightly before she started spreading kisses down his neck and up his jaw. "Hermione, you have no idea how many fantasies my mind can come up with that involves you, me and this table."</p>
      <p>She chuckled. "What am I going to do with you and your naughty mind?"</p>
      <p>Ron's hand was in her hair, pulling her down in to a deep and hungry kiss. This was nothing like the sweet kisses they had shared so far. This kiss reeked of lust. Once their lips crashed together, Hermione knew that she wasn't going to be the first to pull away. She reflexively tightened her thighs as her tongue kept sucking his.</p>
      <p>Ron's hands this time went behind her as he cupped her buttocks inserting one of them underneath her pants. She could now feel him harden underneath her that only resulted in her rubbing her hips against him. Ron groaned against her mouth and he had to break the kiss panting for breath.</p>
      <p>Somehow the rational part of his brain seemed to regain control reminding him that the situation was getting out of hand and that their parents were outside and could at any moment burst inside the room.</p>
      <p>"Hermione, I think we need to stop," he regretfully said taking his hands off Hermione's body resting them on the sides of his chair. A flushed and heavily breathing Hermione was staring at him in confusion.</p>
      <p>"You have no idea how much I want this, Hermione, but I just don't think it's a good idea with our parents outside the door. Somehow I doubt your dad would appreciate it if he entered the room and saw me violating his daughter," Ron apologized and at the same time he wanted to curse himself.</p>
      <p>"You haven't violated me yet," said Hermione blushing but she accepted Ron's decision. It surprised her that from the two of them, he was the one with a functional brain right now.</p>
      <p>Giving him a peck on the forehead, she sadly got up from his lap. "Are you sure you can… hold it in, 'til we get home or for after the carnival?" she asked as she stretched her hand for Ron.</p>
      <p>"It's not like I have a choice, Hermione," he said as he took her hand and got up from his chair.</p>
      <p>"You stopped it Ron, so quit whining now and give me a tour," Hermione teased as she dragged him out of the room.</p>
      <p>"There is not much to see really," Ron said as they walked out. "Except our dads having a firecracker fight if I'm correct."</p>
      <p>Right in the middle of the warehouse, both Arthur and Walter were laughing and running and throwing firecrackers at each other, while Molly and Emma were sitting on a nearby sofa watching in amusement as their husbands behaved like little boys.</p>
      <p>"I think your dad is a bad influence on mine," said Hermione in amusement too. She found it so cute that her father was playing and her mum wasn't scolding him. Today her parents were full of mystery and she loved that.</p>
      <p>"I better stop them before they set the whole building on fire," Ron said and with a last glance at each other, they realized that their little factory adventure was over. Or was it?</p>
      <p>Before Ron starting to walk towards their parents, Hermione grabbed his arm. She stood on her tiptoes and whispered into his ear. "You were right this time, but you better violate me in that room, Ron, and soon," she said winking at him and starting to walk away from him wiggling her firm arse seductively, driving Ron mental.</p>
      <p>One thought crossed Ron's mind. <em>That girl is going to be the death of me.</em></p>
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<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Happy New Year</h2></a>
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      <p>"I saw him coming straight at me. My defenders were out of place so no one is marking him. The ball was glued to his feet and he was getting closer and closer. I know I'm the only one that can stop him. I take three steps forward and I wait for his move. I know that the odds are with him, but I must beat him; for me, for my teammates… for all of the Weasleys. <em>I must beat him. I must beat him.</em> That's the only thought that crossed my mind."</p>
      <p>Ron kept repeating the highlights of his game to his nephews and nieces who now, having seen him for the first time in an actual game and heard thousands of fans singing his name, were staring at him in adoration and awe as if he were a rock star. They were literally hanging on every word that came out of his mouth despite that they had seen him do all those things a few hours ago.</p>
      <p>"His shot was strong and fast, but I was stronger and faster. I stretched my left arm, punched the ball away and then I heard it. The sweet sound of the final whistle. I did it. I beat him… We won!" he finished his speech in a dramatic way.</p>
      <p>"That was so awesome, Uncle Ron!" Adam said in awe.</p>
      <p>"You're a hero!" Peter praised him.</p>
      <p>Ron theatrically shook his head. "No, guys, I'm no hero. I'm just a guy doing his job."</p>
      <p>He knew most of his stories were exaggerated truths, but he enjoyed the role of cool and popular uncle.</p>
      <p>"No, you're the best, Uncle Ron!" screamed Victoire as she threw herself in his arms and hugged him again for the millionth time. "I knew you were going to be great today. I asked Santa an extra gift because my mum said I was a reaaaaally good girl this year, and my wish was you winning the game."</p>
      <p>"That's so stupid!" Peter said. "Santa isn't real."</p>
      <p>"Yes, he is!" Victoire cried to the boys.</p>
      <p>"He's not!"</p>
      <p>"He is!"</p>
      <p>"Hey, hey, hey, all of you stop it!" Ron shouted causing the kids to fall silent.</p>
      <p>He turned to Victoire and hugged her back as he whispered in her ear. "Let them say what they want. I felt a special power with me today. It must have come from you. Thank you for your gift, Princess," he said kissing her forehead.</p>
      <p>The girl smiled and then stuck her tongue out to mock the boys.</p>
      <p>"And since you gave me a gift I must return the favour. You can choose whatever you want and I'll buy it for you. How's that sound?"</p>
      <p>"Hey, that's not fair!" the boys cried in unison.</p>
      <p>"Alright then, if you apologise to Victoire and tell her that Santa is real, I'll buy all of you a gift. Do we have a deal?"</p>
      <p>"But he-," Adam began to disagree, but his more sensible cousin put his hand over his mouth to stop him.</p>
      <p>"We're sorry, Victoire. You're right; Santa is real!" Peter said loudly looking at her although by the tone of his voice anyone could tell he was lying. "Right, Adam?" he asked his cousin with a meaningful look.</p>
      <p>"Right…." Adam agreed defeated. <em>Just as real as magic</em>, Ron heard him muttering sarcastically under his breath as they all started walking to the nearest candy shop.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Hermione was having a great time at the carnival. She had the chance to ride bumper cars with little Daniel. She found the time to announce to her parents about her decision to leave her current job and accept the offer from Lupin&amp;Tonks. She also had great fun beating Percy at darts and she understood now what Ron meant when he told her that Percy was a sore loser. They had three rematches and she won every single one, until Percy decided to quit because of an "<em>old trauma</em>" in his right elbow that suddenly reappeared and was <em>"affecting his game"</em>.</p>
      <p>Now she and Ginny were standing across from Fred and George's tent watching in amusement their efforts to lure clients into trying and buying their new products. Despite that all the profits would go to charity, every year they had this unofficial bet on who would sell more. The loser would have to address the other as <em>My Lord</em> in all the business meetings for the next year.</p>
      <p>She laughed inwardly at their craziness and hoped they'd never change. Despite her nagging at times, it was ultimately what made them charming and fun to be around.</p>
      <p>"Take a look at Angelina. She looks like she's planning on murdering Fred in his sleep," Ginny joked making Hermione laugh. "Flirting to sell some fireworks in front of your wife is a bad idea".</p>
      <p>"Your brothers claim that girls don't buy fireworks as often as guys so they must use a different approach and apparently flirting does the trick."</p>
      <p>"Unfortunately, it's also a bad strategy for a marriage, Hermione."</p>
      <p>Hermione looked at Katie who was drumming her fingers on table, as she watched George complimenting a pretty blonde girl, and she had to fight the urge to laugh at it.</p>
      <p>"Can we go somewhere more quiet? There's something I want to tell you and it's kind of important," said Ginny in a more serious tone. Despite the good time she was having watching the twins, Hermione followed her.</p>
      <p>When they were a pretty good distance from the rest of the people, Ginny turned to face her. "I have no idea how this happened, because we weren't planning it, but Harry and I have some news and I wanted you to be the first to know," she said in mild excitement.</p>
      <p>"Oh my God. You're pregnant!" screamed Hermione.</p>
      <p>"Thanks for ruining it!"</p>
      <p>Hermione ignored her and hugged her enthusiastically. "I'm sorry, but it was the first guess that came to mind. I can't believe it! Another baby!"</p>
      <p>"Keep your voice down, Hermione! You and Ron are the only ones who knows about it. Harry and I want to tell everyone else at dinner tomorrow night."</p>
      <p>"Sorry, it's just so exciting! You are going to have another baby! When did you find out?" Hermione asked breaking the hug.</p>
      <p>"I had a test that came out positive before the holidays, but to be sure I did a blood test and the doctor called me a few hours ago and made it official."</p>
      <p>"Harry must be over the moon with that news. Are you excited about it?"</p>
      <p>Ginny made an unsure grimace. "Truth is like I told you that I wasn't planning on having another baby so soon after James. There is no energy left at the end of the day with one child, so I don't even want to think what a wreck I am going to be with two."</p>
      <p>Hermione couldn't argue with that and was ready to give a sympathetic hug to the girl, when Ginny started jumping up and down in pure joy.</p>
      <p>"But I am! I'm so freaking excited, Hermione! I'm going to have my little baby girl!" she screamed hugging Hermione and now both girls were jumping up and down.</p>
      <p>"Oh, it's a girl? That's wonderful!"</p>
      <p>"I don't know if it's a girl yet, Hermione. I know it has to be a girl! I'm not going to be like my mother, having to give birth to six wankers before having my angel."</p>
      <p>Hermione laughed in amusement. "You're Molly's angel? Funny, because I've seen her countless of times giving you disapproving looks especially when you dress… well the way you normally dress."</p>
      <p>"Don't let that fool you, Hermione. I'm her favourite one. Why else do you think she kept trying until she got me?"</p>
      <p>"Maybe she really liked having sex with your father," said Hermione with a wink.</p>
      <p>"Gross, Hermione. These are my parents you're talking about."</p>
      <p>The girls kept laughing and talking about the baby and before they knew, it was almost an hour before midnight and the fireworks show, so they headed back to the others.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>In all the chaos of the game and the carnival, Ron was glad that he had the chance to spend some time alone with Harry having a beer and chatting a bit.</p>
      <p>"Again man, you had a great game! That save you did on Coleman's header... pure beauty!" Harry kept gloating after his friend's performance.</p>
      <p>Ron made a grimace after taking a sip of his drink. "If Peters kept his position as I keep fucking screaming at him to do every single minute, I wouldn't have needed to save it. He's a bloody dimwit. He makes the same mistakes in every game. If it wasn't for Taker cleaning up his mess, we would be at the bottom of the league table."</p>
      <p>"Transfer market is open now, isn't it? Maybe they'll find a better defender," Harry pointed out.</p>
      <p>"I don't know, Harry. They already sold Miller and today we learned that Neville is off the team as well. They signed this Roberts guy to replace him."</p>
      <p>The news surprised Harry who was good friends with Neville as well. "Are you serious? He had a great season so far! Why would they let him go?"</p>
      <p>"Beats me. But already two of our starting line-up is gone, and Seamus is going to stay on the bench so that kid Preston can play. Making so many changes when we are at the top of the league table, is fucking madness."</p>
      <p>"Maybe your coach knows what he's doing. Maybe the team will get stronger."</p>
      <p>"Or weaker," mumbled Ron.</p>
      <p>"There is nothing like a positive mindset," said Harry in sarcasm.</p>
      <p>Ron wasn't sure anymore what to think about the board and Coach Snape. This was the first time that the club had an actual shot of gaining promotion to the big league and instead of strengthening the team, they did the exact opposite. And as far as Snape goes, Ron began doubting his abilities. Managing a team that every year was fighting for survival was one thing, but managing a team that's fighting for the league championship was another story; Ron wasn't sure if coach had the necessary experience to handle the latter situation. The latest readjustments to the club's roster were definite proof that something wasn't working the way he hoped they would.</p>
      <p>"I'll call Neville tomorrow to see how he's handling it. Did you talk with him, Ron?"</p>
      <p>"I was there when coach told him the news. I tried to encourage him as best I could and I'm pretty sure he'll find a new contract in no time, but you know how it is. It takes time to adjust to the new and different life that comes to you."</p>
      <p>Harry took another sip of his beer and leaned in closer to Ron.</p>
      <p>"Speaking of a new and different life, I have some news to share; Ginny's pregnant!"</p>
      <p>It took a few moments for Ron to reply. "Fuck's sake, Harry! You just got Jamie and you knocked my sister up again? What the bloody hell is wrong with you?"</p>
      <p>Harry laughed in amusement. "It definitely wasn't planned, I'll tell you that."</p>
      <p>Ron couldn't believe it. His little sister and his best friend were about to become parents again so soon! While part of him thought <em>something had to be seriously wrong with them</em>, anyone seeing Harry's excited face couldn't help but feel happy for them.</p>
      <p>He hugged Harry tightly and patted him on the shoulder. "Congratulations, brother. Just don't try to beat my parents' record, alright?"</p>
      <p>"No one can beat their record. Besides Ginny and I talked and we agree that we'll be more careful from now on."</p>
      <p>"How did she take the news?"</p>
      <p>"At first she started blaming me and threatened to cut me off my balls, but I could tell she was just pretending. She wants this baby more than I do."</p>
      <p>"Is it a boy or a girl? Don't tell me it's twins!"</p>
      <p>"We don't know yet and Ginny insists we won't find out this time. She wants it to be a surprise but I know she wants a girl," Harry answered. "I'm really looking forward to it, Ron. Ever since your sister told me… well I can't stop smiling."</p>
      <p>Ron was impressed by how much his best friend changed over the years and he had to give Ginny the credit she deserved.</p>
      <p>"Harry Potter, the guy who panicked at the thought of having a family, is now about to be a daddy for a second time and he's freaking excited about it! How things change, huh?"</p>
      <p>"I could say the same about you and Hermione."</p>
      <p>Ron shook his head. "My relationship with Hermione never changed. It's just got... upgraded."</p>
      <p><em>Yeah, upgrade is the right word,</em> thought Ron. Although for his own sake he advised himself to never repeat this word to Hermione. Something was telling him that she wouldn't find it particularly romantic.</p>
      <p>"So that means that you finally had a sex on your childhood bed? Lord knows it didn't have any action during your teen years," Harry joked trying to get a reaction from Ron.</p>
      <p>"Fuck off, you fertile midget!"</p>
      <p>"Oh, so you haven't! What are you two waiting for? Saving yourself for marriage? Or is it because of you? It's been so long since the last time and you don't know how to do it anymore? You know you can ask your older brothers for some advice or I can give you some tips or read some books that can help you or check the internet – it is full of educational videos," joked Harry who was forced to stop after Ron elbowed him on the ribs.</p>
      <p>Ron would really like to know the answer himself. He wanted to and Hermione clearly wanted to too, so what was the obstacle?</p>
      <p>"Hermione thinks too much. She has… expectations. She has this idea inside her head that everything must be perfect and... I don't know. It's a lot of pressure," he said with a sigh.</p>
      <p>"Have you told her that?"</p>
      <p>"There is nothing to talk about, really. We did have moments where we could go all the way and let me tell you this; yesterday she was ready to rip my clothes off in the factory, but I stopped her."</p>
      <p>Harry was confused. "I'm sorry, you said you stopped her? That's the complete opposite of what you should have done!"</p>
      <p>"Our parents were ten feet away, Harry! Her mother already hates my guts. Imagine what her reaction would be seeing me nailing her daughter on an office desk."</p>
      <p>Harry made a grimace of doubt. "Are you sure she doesn't like you? During the game she was really supportive. Maybe you're the prejudiced one here."</p>
      <p>"Trust me, the feelings are mutual," said Ron undoubtedly.</p>
      <p>"So what are you planning to do about Hermione?"</p>
      <p>"She suggested to do it properly with dates first and she's probably right. It's too weird right now with our mothers in earshot."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, I also feel awkward everytime I shag your sister in your parents' house."</p>
      <p>"I'd fucking punch you if we weren't in public, you know that?"</p>
      <p>"Yes, but we are, so suck it up, brother."</p>
      <p>A known voice from the past was heard that moment. "I don't think it's very appropriate for a professional athlete and a law enforcement officer to drink alcohol... even when they're not at work."</p>
      <p>Harry almost choked on his beer after hearing that voice. "Professor McGonagall, is that you?" he asked in shock after seeing his old teacher.</p>
      <p>"Indeed it is, Mr. Potter. Any other obvious questions?"</p>
      <p>"I'm sorry, Professor, I'm just surprised! I haven't seen you in years. How are you? Are you still teaching?"</p>
      <p>"I'm fine and of course I am, Mr. Potter. And you two, are you still troublemakers? I already know that Mr. Weasley likes to bring girls to the school's secluded areas. So what about you, Mr. Potter? Any illegal activities you're participating that I should know about?"</p>
      <p><em>It was just one girl</em>, mumbled Ron very silently, but without daring to look his old professor in the eye.</p>
      <p>"I'm sorry Professor. We were just celebrating some news. My wife, Ginny, Ron's sister, is pregnant again you see," Harry said. "But don't tell her that!" he added panicked.</p>
      <p>"Is she not aware of her pregnancy?"</p>
      <p>"I meant don't tell her I said anything to you. She asked me to keep it a secret until we announce it to the whole family tomorrow."</p>
      <p>"And what a great job you did at keeping that promise, Mr. Potter," she said sarcastically. "I can assure you though that I have no desire to walk down the cold street screaming the news of your wife's pregnancy. Your secret is safe with me, although judging by the fact that you blurted the news to me ten seconds after we started talking, I highly doubt it's going to remain a secret for much longer."</p>
      <p>"Thank you, Professor."</p>
      <p>"Well, I should be going now. It was nice seeing both of you again. Congratulations again, Mr. Potter, and give my best wishes to your wife. I hope I'll see you both next year," said McGonagall and with that she walked away leaving the two friends watching her with nostalgia.</p>
      <p>"She brought back so many memories," said Harry.</p>
      <p>"She sure did."</p>
      <p>"I miss those days sometimes, Ron. Just you and me constantly doing stupid things and getting ourselves in trouble."</p>
      <p>Ron smiled. "We weren't that bad. Sometimes I wish Hermione was with us then. Maybe she'd knock some sense into us and have helped us avoid some of the detentions."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, and maybe if the other girls saw that we had an actual female friend, they wouldn't run away every time we asked them out," joked Harry.</p>
      <p>"Every time YOU asked them out."</p>
      <p>"I don't remember girls lining up to snog you, Ron."</p>
      <p>"I was-,"</p>
      <p>"Pardon me, Ron," Fleur suddenly appeared holding her crying baby and interrupted their talk. "Can you please take us home? Gabrielle is scared of all that noise."</p>
      <p>"Sure, where is Bill?"</p>
      <p>"Oh, he's helping Fred and George with the firewoks and your mum said to ask you to take us back home."</p>
      <p>"Have you seen Ginny?" Harry asked her.</p>
      <p>"She and Hermione are with them as well. James is with Arthur and Hermione's parents."</p>
      <p>"Are you sure you don't want to stay for the New Year? It's only a couple of hours away," Ron suggested.</p>
      <p>"Babies don't care for stuff like that, Ron. She needs to get home to feel safe and have a nap."</p>
      <p>"Alright then, let's go," said Ron as he tried to hold little Gabrielle, but stopped when the baby started crying louder than before. "She doesn't really like me," he said to Fleur as he gave her back the baby.</p>
      <p>"She's a baby, Ron. You're Victoire's favourite uncle and I'm sure Gabrielle will love you just as much."</p>
      <p>Walking with Fleur to his car, Ron realized that Hermione had his keys in her jacket. "Oh bugger! Fleur, I need you to wait for me at the car. I forgot that Hermione has my keys. Give me a minute and I'll be right back," he said and left to find Hermione.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p><em>Wow, another baby!</em> That was all Hermione could think as she was lying on the grass watching from a distance all the people enjoying the carnival. The news of Ginny's pregnancy awoke some thoughts and feelings that never occurred to her before.</p>
      <p>No, it didn't make her want to have her own baby or get married. Well, she did want those things, but in the distant future. Right now, the troubling thought was something else. Ginny knew what she wanted in her life and that was something that Hermione was still struggling to figure out.</p>
      <p>A couple of months ago she had a steady, boring, well-paid job; a roommate who was only her best friend, and her life was in order. Now her steady job was gone, and replaced with one that could be the best choice or the biggest mistake of her career. Her best friend was now her boyfriend. Her life was a complete mess.</p>
      <p><em>But a nice mess</em>, she thought.</p>
      <p>"You can admit it now. Disneyland sucks compared to this."</p>
      <p>She was so deep in her thoughts that she was startled by Ron's words. She turned toward the characteristic voice of the red-haired boy that seemed to occupy most of her thoughts lately. She made a grimace to keep herself from grinning. "I believe it has a certain charm that Disneyland fails to offer."</p>
      <p>He leaned forward and whispered into her ear. "It must be the ginger element."</p>
      <p>Their lips locked sharing a sweet and tender kiss. It still amazed Hermione how natural it seemed kissing Ron now. Any initial awkwardness was gone, but the excitement was always there as if they were kissing for the first time over and over again.</p>
      <p>"Hey listen, I need to take Fleur and the baby back home. I won't be late."</p>
      <p>"I'll come too. I really need to change my coat," she said and she turned to the side where a huge stain was visible. "Adam and Peter were chasing Daniel and threw food at each other and I got in their way."</p>
      <p>Ron looked closer. "Mustard, relish and… chocolate? What the hell were they eating?"</p>
      <p>"I'm sure it will come off with no trouble, Ron. Besides, they apologized and that's the most important thing," said Hermione before taking Ron's hand and walking towards Fleur.</p>
      <p>"I had an interesting talk with Ginny. I imagine you had the same talk with Harry?" she asked him, impatient to talk about Ginny's pregnancy.</p>
      <p>"I did! I can't believe that tosser knocked my sister up again!"</p>
      <p>Hermione kicked him lightly in the leg. "It's something to celebrate, not moan about."</p>
      <p>"You should ask Ginny who never stops complaining about how tiring it is taking care of James. She maybe celebrating now, but she'll soon have another toddler running around the house."</p>
      <p>"We talked about it and she's very excited if you must know."</p>
      <p>"Of course she is… now. In a few months she's going to start moaning that she's fat. Then she will have mood swings. Then the baby will come and she won't stop complaining about how little sleep she gets or how she's too young to be a mother of two and she'll start blaming Harry for causing it. And then…"</p>
      <p>"Okay, Ron, I get the picture. Don't you think you're overreacting a bit?"</p>
      <p>"You were there when she was pregnant with James, right? Or the first months after the birth. A bleeding nightmare!"</p>
      <p>"I admit that there were moments when Ginny reacted… strongly to some situations, but it was all new for her. She was scared and had no idea how to raise a baby, but now she's more experienced. It will be better this time; I'm sure about it."</p>
      <p>
        <em>She really wasn't though.</em>
      </p>
      <p>After arriving home, it didn't take long for Fleur to put the baby to sleep and decided to get some rest as well. Ron waited for Hermione to change clothes but when she came downstairs to leave, he had a better idea.</p>
      <p>"Do we really need to go back? The roof has a great view of the square and we can enjoy all the fireworks by ourselves."</p>
      <p>Hermione was certainly tempted. "Is your family going to have a problem with us staying here?"</p>
      <p>"Well my father will probably write me out of his will and my mother might set fire to my bollocks, but I'll take the risk."</p>
      <p>"By your sarcastic tone, I guess that you prefer us to stay here, so lead the way."</p>
      <p>Hermione had to admit that Ron was right. The view of the town and especially the square was wonderful and the lights from the carnival along with the stars in the sky made it even better.</p>
      <p>She turned to face Ron who was sitting in a comfy chair watching her.</p>
      <p>"Nice hiding place you have here, Weasley. A nice table, two really comfortable chairs, stars above your head…. I'm not the first one you brought up here right? Because it's a very romantic setup for just you."</p>
      <p>"That's true. You're the second person I brought up here."</p>
      <p>"Was the first one pretty?"</p>
      <p>"Black unkempt hair, geeky glasses, short height, hairy butt… you know my type," said Ron making Hermione crack a smile.</p>
      <p>"Every summer we visit, Harry and I like to stay up here some nights having a beer and sharing some laughs. At first we had some plastic chairs but were too uncomfortable, so I replaced them with these. It was a smart decision; don't you agree?"</p>
      <p>"What is it with you two and rooftops?"</p>
      <p>"I don't know actually. I guess it's just easier to get away from people and have a nice talk without interruption."</p>
      <p>"I wish I had a Harry," said Hermione wishfully. "I never had that. I had friends but not the kind of friends that you could call in the middle of the night to take you to the hospital or go on a roadtrip together."</p>
      <p>She never really understood the depth of her loneliness until Ron came into her life. She was always busy with her studies or later with her job, that sometimes she felt like she never really experienced being a teenager.</p>
      <p>When he entered her life, Ron wasted no time to introduce her to his family and friends, who were a group of people who liked her for who she was.</p>
      <p>"Funny, but we were talking earlier about how great it would have been if you were our friend in school. You'd have kept us in line at times and we'd loosen you up a bit every once in a while."</p>
      <p>"It would have been nice, wouldn't it?"</p>
      <p>"The universe brought us together though in the end," said Ron with a kiss.</p>
      <p>"I thought it was your terrible driving skills."</p>
      <p>"Yes, that too."</p>
      <p>He sat in the chair next to her holding her hand. "I agree by the way. We shouldn't rush into things. It's better to wait until we're back in our flat and we can take it slowly from there."</p>
      <p>"Is that what you want?" she asked him without taking her eyes off his.</p>
      <p>"It's the smart thing to do."</p>
      <p>Sitting in her chair, holding his hand and looking into his beautiful blue eyes, she found him more attractive than ever before and had to smile at the realization. Ron loved her. He loved her and he wanted her. Any other thought was just her own insecurities keeping her away from happiness and she had enough of it.</p>
      <p>"What if I told you that I can't think of a better time than right here, right now?" she said never breaking eye contact.</p>
      <p>"Are you sure?" asked Ron with a gulp.</p>
      <p>She rose from her chair and moved to his straddling him. Without missing a beat she kissed him passionately. She felt her skin burning up as his hand moved inside her shirt and caressed the skin of her ribs. At the same time his lips on hers were no longer tentative, but instead were demanding more. Her breasts were tingling as her nipples were pressing against her bra. Ron moaned into her mouth and Hermione did the same.</p>
      <p>The sensations coursing through her were incredible as she felt Ron's hands slide up her sides and cup her breasts. She gasped when her bra was opened, then moaned when she felt his hand squeeze her breast. Trying to make the feeling better, she took off her shirt and stood there naked, not caring about the breeze or how nervous she was.</p>
      <p>Ron gulped at the sight but quickly removed his shirt as well. It didn't take long before all their clothes were scattered on the floor and sounds of pleasure were the only ones escaping their lips. Once their bodies were intertwined, there was a moment where their eyes locked as if they both understood that they crossed a line and a comfortable grin formed on their faces.</p>
      <p>It wasn't comfortable trying to have sex in a single chair but that was the last thing on her mind. She tried to be as quiet as possible just in case Fleur was nearby but she failed to hold her loud moans once Ron's thrusts inside her become faster and faster.</p>
      <p>The feeling of him inside her was amazing and hearing him moaning her name over and over, drove her to ecstasy. She tried to hold on to the feeling as much as possible, but her body betrayed her. She was the first to reach climax, but she didn't stop until they were both satisfied. She collapsed on top of him with a mix of pleasure and exhaustion running through her body.</p>
      <p>"So, yeah, we're definitely not just friends anymore, Granger," said Ron out of breath.</p>
      <p>"You can say that again," replied an equally breathless Hermione who tried to keep herself from screaming to the world what had just happened and how happy she was.</p>
      <p>"I fantasized a lot in the last few days of how it would happen, but I never imagined it would be in a tight chair on your parent's rooftop," she joked.</p>
      <p>They both chuckled at that while Ron covered them with his jacket to keep them warm.</p>
      <p>"Did it live up to your expectations?"</p>
      <p>"I think we can do even better," she teased him. "But we probably need to practice a lot more and as many times a day as possible."</p>
      <p>"You're right, Hermione. We can't rest until we reach perfection. I suggest next time to be in my room in about fifteen to twenty minutes."</p>
      <p>"I definitely agree," she replied with a huge grin on her face.</p>
      <p>She moved her body a bit to sit more comfortably with her head resting now on his chest while trailing her hand on his naked arm along his scar.</p>
      <p>"You never told me how you got those."</p>
      <p>During the years living together she had seen him naked from the waist up, but she never really paid attention to his scars until now that she was inches away.</p>
      <p>"On my seventh birthday, my dad bought me my first bike. Well, he said he bought it, but I knew it was Bill's old bike. I saw him the night before as he stayed up and worked on that old rusty bike to make it look like better than a hand-me-down, but I didn't tell him. He did such a great job that it looked brand new. It was the best gift I could ask for," he said with such a fondness in his voice.</p>
      <p>"Naturally I wanted to take it immediately for a ride when he gave it to me. The twins volunteered to teach me how and at first they were helping me a lot, but I guess they got bored and decided to have some fun. So they took me on that small hill behind our house and let me roll down. I was screaming like a maniac in fear and I couldn't keep it steady so I fell on this rock and cut my arm. They kept laughing and told me that if I wanted to get out of there, I needed to ride my way back and I did. Ever since, I always rode my bike there to prove that I could do it and I wasn't afraid anymore."</p>
      <p>Hermione looked at Ron with shock written all over her face.</p>
      <p>"Your brothers can be such idiots sometimes. You could have been hurt a lot worse, Ron! What if it was your head against that rock? You're lucky you got away with just a scar on your arm."</p>
      <p>"Mum made them clean the kitchen with a toothbrush, so I'm pretty sure they regretted what they did," said Ron trying to lighten the mood without success.</p>
      <p>"It's not funny!"</p>
      <p>"I know it's not funny, Hermione, but they were 9-years old. It's not like they understood the level of danger they were putting me through. To them it was funny, just like it looked funny to me when I tried to give Ginny a haircut while she was sleeping and I ended up cutting almost all her hair from her right side."</p>
      <p>"You did what?" she cried.</p>
      <p>"Exactly!"</p>
      <p>Hermione sighed in defeat. "Sometimes I feel grateful I'm an only-child."</p>
      <p>"Yes, but those are the stories that we reminisce about the most, Hermione. Who wants to talk about that time when we were nice to each other? That's boring."</p>
      <p>"I'll take boring and safe any day, thank you very much," she said clearly still annoyed with the twins' behavior.</p>
      <p>"Fine, how about I share a nice story with the twins then, Hermione. Third year at secondary school, there were the tryouts for the school's football team. Ginny knew because she was helping me practice during the summer, but I avoided telling my brothers afraid of them teasing me. On the day of the trials after I made a save, I saw them both on the sidelines shouting my name and encouraging me. Ginny had told them and they were there to support me. When they learned I made the team, they were genuinely happy for me and bought me my first real goalkeeping gloves," said Ron surprising Hermione with the tenderness on his voice.</p>
      <p>"They've never missed a game, Hermione. They've come to all of my games since that day. They're idiots, but they love me and support me. Even now with the whole chairman thing, you really think that this successful company is in need of someone in charge that has no idea how to do it? They don't really need me, Hermione. Do you know who is chairman right now?" he asked her and she shook her head.</p>
      <p>"My mum," he said. "Do you think she's participating in board meetings or makes any decisions about the economic strategy of the company?"</p>
      <p>Hermione didn't know that technically Molly was in charge of the factory and she started to understand why Ron wasn't so keen to take her place.</p>
      <p>"It's just a meaningless title so they could give me money and make me feel good about myself without actually doing anything. It's their way of saying they're there for me no matter what. They did the same with Ginny who works there as a 'quality inspector', but she doesn't care. She knows this position is just for show, but she needs the money because they can't live only on Harry's salary, especially now with another kid coming."</p>
      <p>Hearing all that softened Hermione. "Isn't that a good thing though? Knowing your family has your back?"</p>
      <p>"I didn't say I don't appreciate the gesture, Hermione. I know they have good intentions, but I want to feel useful. You're ready to leave a job that gives you no joy and do something that you feel is more important. I want to do the same. Right now, I feel it's important for me is to keep playing football and prove to all of them that I'm more than just a nice addition."</p>
      <p>She rarely saw this side of Ron. It was fascinating watching him as he stood up for himself and sharing his ambitions.</p>
      <p>"Besides, I want to work in the factory when I'm done with football. I never said I was against the idea, but I want it to happen on my own terms and because my brothers believe I can help them and not because mum made them do it or as a hand-out."</p>
      <p>"Maybe they believe in you, Ron. That's why they come to all your games and want you involved in their business. Maybe they feel that they need you."</p>
      <p>"I haven't done anything outstanding in my life, Hermione. I don't see why anyone should believe in me."</p>
      <p>"I believe in you, Ron! I believe you can be the best goalkeeper in the country. I believe that you will play for Arsenal one day. And I truly believe that if you decide to work in the factory, you'll do great things there as well. I've told you before and I'll say it again. Once you decide to leave all doubts and fears behind you, you'll see how special you are."</p>
      <p>Ron stood there in silence as she cupped his face with her hands.</p>
      <p>"I believe in you," she said again.</p>
      <p>His lips found hers without any resistance from her part. This time it wasn't demanding more. It was soft but more intimate like he was telling her how much he cared about her at that moment.</p>
      <p>She really wanted to stay in his arms forever but it was getting obvious that they both felt the cold weather catching up with them.</p>
      <p>"Do you think it's time to go back inside? It's getting cold out here," she said but she was interrupted abruptly by the fireworks in the sky. Dozens of beautifully synchronized fireworks made a spectacular sight and it felt like a perfect ending to a perfect night.</p>
      <p>"Happy New Year," he whispered in her ear while wrapping his arms around her.</p>
      <p>"I love you," was the only thing she could say at that moment.</p>
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<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Epilogue</h2></a>
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    <p>10 years later</p><p>It wasn't unusual for the Weasley family to gather around and see Ron's game on the television. Tonight though, it was a special occasion since it was his last game. Although he still had a few good years as a goalkeeper, he decided it was time to hang up his boots and start a new chapter in his life away from football.</p><p>A very pregnant Hermione was sitting in the armchair while her daughter Rose was playing with her dolls. Because of her situation she couldn't go the game, but Ron reassured her that she wouldn't be missing much.</p><p>That was the understatement of the year. Not only was it the FA Cup final, which Millwall finally won, but Ron was the one who made it possible after saving three penalties in the end.</p><p>She couldn't be more proud of him. Before meeting Ron, she never understood the importance of football or sports in general, but since then, she saw that her husband made a lot of people happy and that was very important in life.</p><p>Harry and Ginny had gone to the game along with the twins and Bill, but the rest of the family was in the Burrow not wanting to leave Hermione alone that day.</p><p>"Charlie, Ron is on the telly. Come quick!" suddenly Percy screamed and everyone gather around to see him speak.</p><p>On the TV screen was an old journalist holding a microphone to the face of a very sweaty, bearded Ron with a medal wrapped around his neck.</p><p>"…<strong>with us right now is none other than the man of the day, Ron Weasley. Thank you for joining us and congratulations."</strong></p><p>"Thanks for having me."</p><p>"<strong>We knew before the game started that it was going to be your last. I cannot find a better way for any athlete to end their career than winning a title. Was this the best ending?"</strong></p><p>"You know, 10 years ago we lost in the final against Manchester City. Ever since that day, I always felt I owed something to the town of Millwall and I'd like to think that today I paid that debt; so yeah it was the best ending."</p><p>"<strong>To summarize, 356 professional appearances, 2 Champions titles with Arsenal, 29 caps with the National team, a 3</strong><strong>rd</strong><strong> place in the World Cup and now after you returned to your first team to close your career, one last show. Winning the FA Cup for the first time in Millwall's history. Was it how you expected to be?"</strong></p><p>"No. If you told me when I started my career what would happen, I would think you we're barking mad. But I feel blessed. I have great memories from both the Arsenal and Millwall, I have amazing fans and I couldn't have asked for anything more."</p><p>"<strong>This was the first trophy ever for Millwall. In the final, you played against Chelsea who was considered the big favourite and created more chances to score a goal but you were there every time to stop them. Then in the penalty shoot-out after the extra time, you saved three shots! Could this be considered your greatest performance and achievement?"</strong></p><p>"As far as football goes, I must agree. I've won trophies in the past, but this was something special. No one gave us a chance at the beginning, but we made it. I don't deserve all the credit, because all the lads gave their hearts out on the field and it was a true team effort."</p><p>"<strong>During your career, fans gave you the nickname "penalty wizard" because of your high rate of success at blocking them. What's your secret? What goes through your mind during a penalty?"</strong></p><p>"I admit I always liked that nickname, but there's no secret. Every goalkeeper has a different approach to these situations. Personally, I always tried to clear my head and focus on something that calms my nerves down and take the pressure off."</p><p>"<strong>Where do you focus?"</strong></p><p>"My wife's smile. I close my eyes, see her smile, and then I open them and know I'm ready."</p><p>Ron never missed a chance to compliment Hermione when he spoke to the public, but that never stopped Hermione from blushing every single time. Even now she was red as a tomato.</p><p>"<strong>Now, you talked about your family. A lot of athletes have a difficult time adjusting to a new life away from their daily routine. How much will you miss football?"</strong></p><p>"Honestly, I love football and of course I'm going to miss it, but it doesn't compare with how much more I missed my wife and my daughter every time I was away. I'd choose them any day. There's no contest."</p><p>"<strong>Any last words?"</strong></p><p>"I want to dedicate this trophy to our late Coach Snape. He was a true servant of this club for almost 30 years and I'll always be grateful for his help."</p><p>"<strong>Thank you very much and congratulations."</strong></p><p>"Thank you as well."</p><p>The interview ended and Rose groaned when Ron's face went missing from the screen making the others chuckle at her cuteness.</p><hr/><p>A few hours later Ron came home to find Hermione once again asleep on the sofa with a book resting on her head. During her pregnancies, that sight was very common. He quietly went to Rose's room to give a kiss to his sleeping daughter and returned to wake Hermione up so she could go and lie in their bed.</p><p>"These books you're reading are getting heavier and heavier," he said softly taking that book of her face and planting a sweet kiss on her lips.</p><p>"It's about Constitutional Law. It's supposed to be heavy," she replied smiling.</p><p>"If you say so."</p><p>Holding her firmly he helped her to their bed and fixed the cushion so she could be more comfortable.</p><p>"You want a foot rub?" he asked her.</p><p>"Have I ever said no to that?"</p><p>Ron wasted no time and started massaging her swollen feet. "Was it tiring today?"</p><p>She shook her head. "You know your mother. She insisted on me laying down and she did all the work. I spent all day sitting on my ass getting served whatever I ask for. It was an easy day for me."</p><p>"Did they call from work?"</p><p>"Of course they did. They wanted to do a video conference to discuss our strategy to the Malford' case, but I told them that today I wasn't available because my husband required my undivided attention."</p><p>"That's my girl."</p><p>"They postponed it for tomorrow though, so you'll need to keep Rose away from my office after lunch."</p><p>"Don't worry about it. By the way, did she see me playing?"</p><p>"She wasn't interested during the game, but she was glued to the screen when you gave that interview. It was so cute!"</p><p>"I can't believe this was my last game!" said Ron with a bittersweet smile on his face.</p><p>"Are you sure about your decision, Ron? I don't want you to be unhappy."</p><p>Ron moved to sit close to her giving her a kiss on the forehead.</p><p>"I wasn't lying when I said that there's no contest. I want to be here now. I could never be unhappy when you're with me. I want to spend more time with you, Rose and this little buddy," he said gently putting his hand on her belly.</p><p>Unfortunately for Hermione, the baby sensed it and started kicking much to her displeasure.</p><p>"I can't take any more of his kicks, Ron. It's like he's trying to football his way out of there."</p><p>Ron tried to be supportive. "Only a few days left, darling."</p><p>She kissed him tenderly on the lips before resting her head on his chest.</p><p>As he held her in his arms, Hermione thought back to the day she first met Ron. It felt like such a long time ago that almost fateful day he came into her life and changed it forever. Even before they were a couple, she knew he was the most important person in her life and she never dared to dream a life without him.</p><p>"I'm really happy you came into my life, Ron," she whispered before drifting off to sleep.</p>
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